Papyrus 53
Encyclopedia
Papyrus 53 signed by 
53, is an early copy of the New Testament
in Greek
. It is a papyrus
manuscript
of the Matthew
, and Acts
, it contains only Matt. 26:29-40; Acts 9:33-10:1.
The manuscript palaeographically
had been assigned to the 3rd century. These two fragments were found together, they were part of a codex containing the four Gospels and Acts or Matthew and Acts.
The Greek text of this codex is a representative of the Alexandrian text-type
(proto-Alexandrian). Aland
ascribed it as "at least Normal text", and placed it in Category I.
It is currently housed at the University of Michigan
(Inv. 6652) in Ann Arbor
.
53, is an early copy of the New TestamentNew Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
in Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
. It is a papyrus
Papyrus
Papyrus is a thick paper-like material produced from the pith of the papyrus plant, Cyperus papyrus, a wetland sedge that was once abundant in the Nile Delta of Egypt....
manuscript
Manuscript
A manuscript or handwrite is written information that has been manually created by someone or some people, such as a hand-written letter, as opposed to being printed or reproduced some other way...
of the Matthew
Gospel of Matthew
The Gospel According to Matthew is one of the four canonical gospels, one of the three synoptic gospels, and the first book of the New Testament. It tells of the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth...
, and Acts
Acts of the Apostles
The Acts of the Apostles , usually referred to simply as Acts, is the fifth book of the New Testament; Acts outlines the history of the Apostolic Age...
, it contains only Matt. 26:29-40; Acts 9:33-10:1.
The manuscript palaeographically
Palaeography
Palaeography, also spelt paleography is the study of ancient writing. Included in the discipline is the practice of deciphering, reading, and dating historical manuscripts, and the cultural context of writing, including the methods with which writing and books were produced, and the history of...
had been assigned to the 3rd century. These two fragments were found together, they were part of a codex containing the four Gospels and Acts or Matthew and Acts.
The Greek text of this codex is a representative of the Alexandrian text-type
Alexandrian text-type
The Alexandrian text-type , associated with Alexandria, is one of several text-types used in New Testament textual criticism to describe and group the textual character of biblical manuscripts...
(proto-Alexandrian). Aland
Kurt Aland
Kurt Aland was a German Theologian and Professor of New Testament Research and Church History. He founded the Institut für neutestamentliche Textforschung in Münster and served as its first director for many years...
ascribed it as "at least Normal text", and placed it in Category I.
It is currently housed at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
(Inv. 6652) in Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...
.
Further reading
- Henry A. Sanders, A Third Century Papyrus of Matthew and Acts, in: Quantulacumque: Studies Presented to Kirsopp Lake (London: 1937), pp. 151-161.
53 folio 1 recto
53 folio 1 verso
53 folio 2 recto
53 folio 2 verso