Papyrus 1 (in the Gregory-Aland numbering) designated by “P¹“, “ε 01 (von Soden)”, is an early copy of the New Testament in Greek. It is a papyrus manuscript of the Gospel of Matthew, dating palaeographically to the middle of the 3rd century (c. 175 – 225 C.E.). It is currently housed at the University of Pennsylvania Museum (E 2746) and was discovered in Oxyrhynchus, Egypt.

Philip Comfort on the Fly Leaf

Accompanying the first chapter of Matthew is a small portion of what must have been a flyleaf cover, with writing only on the outside sheet. The extant letters are written in a slightly different hand than what appears in the text of Matthew 1. Contrary to O’Callaghan’s conjecture, the letters probably do not represent Matt. 2:14, because the writing is in a different hand, and the greater margin above the three broken lines distinguishes them from the text of Matthew. Rather, they may have been part of a title, as noted by Grenfell and Hunt. Or it could be conjectured that it was not so much a title as it was a kind of subhead descriptor:

εγεν̣[νεθη (was born; the subject being Jesus)
παρ[α (from; indicating source or origin [the Holy Spirit])
μητ̣[ρος αυτου (his mother [Mary])

It could have read like this:

Was born [Jesus Christ, the son of David,]
from [the Holy Spirit coming upon]
his mother [Mary, the wife of Joseph]

Description

The manuscript is a fragment of one leaf, one column per page, 27-29 lines per page, roughly 14.7 cm (6 in) by 15 cm (6 in). The original codex was arranged in two leaves in a quire.

The surviving text of Matthew are verses 1:1-9, 12, and 14-20. The words are written continuously without separation. Accents and breathing marks are absent, except one rough breathing in line 14 of the recto. The nomina sacra are written in abbreviated forms:

The image to the left is of Papyrus 1 (recto), showing Matthew 1:1-9, 12 Name P. Oxy. 2 Text Matthew 1:1-9, 12, 14-20 Date ~250 AD Found Oxyrhynchus, Egypt Now at University of Pennsylvania Cite B. P. Grenfell & A. S. Hunt, Oxyrhynchus Papyri I, pp. 4–7, 1898. Size 1 leaf; 12 × 25 cm; 37–38 lines/page Type Alexandrian Category I Note Close to Codex Vaticanus. Similar to P69

Text

The Greek text-type of this codex is a representative of the Alexandrian text-type. Aland placed it in Category I.

According to scholars, P¹ has a close agreement with Codex Vaticanus. It supports Vaticanus in 1:3 ζαρε (against ζαρα). Ten of the variants are in the spelling of names in the genealogy. Herman C. Hoskier (see below), who finds 17-20 word variations, denied close agreement with Vaticanus.

History

Bernard Pyne Grenfell and Arthur Surridge Hunt discovered this papyrus at Oxyrhynchus in Egypt, on the third or fourth day of excavation, January 13 or 14, 1897. Their findings were published in the first volume of The Oxyrhynchus Papyri in 1898. The manuscript was examined by Francis Crawford Burkitt, Herman C. Hoskier, Comfort, and many other scholars.

Grenfell and Hunt collated its text against the Textus Receptus and against the text of Westcott-Hort. They found that the manuscript belongs to the same class as the Sinaiticus and Vaticanus codices, and has no Western or Byzantine proclivities. There are no Byzantine readings in the early papyri anyway. Usually, it agrees with these two codices, where they are in agreement. Where they differ, the manuscript is near to Vaticanus, except in one important case found at Matthew 1:18 (του δε Ιησου Χριστου), where it agrees with Sinaiticus.

Matthew 1:18

TR WH NU GENTI τοῦ δὲ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἡ γένεσις
“the birth of [the] Jesus Christ”
P¹ א C (L) Z (f^1, 33)

Variant 1 “the birth of the Christ”
it syr^,s

Variant 2 του δε Χριστου Ιησου η γενεσις
“the birth of the Christ Jesus”
B

variant 3 του δε Ιησου η γενεσις
“the birth of [the] Jesus”

It was the earliest known manuscript of the New Testament until the discovery of Papyrus 52 [P⁵²] (c. 110-125), Papyrus 66 [P⁶⁶] (c. 200 C.E.) Papyrus 75 [P⁷⁵] (175-225 C.E.), Papyrus 137 [P¹³⁷] (175-225 C.E.), and Papyrus 45 [P⁴⁵] (c. 250).

PAPYRUS 75 (P75): The Manuscript that Changed the Thinking of Textual Scholars

Textual Character and the Scribe of P75 (Papyrus 75)

Textual Commentary Symbols for GENTI

♠ The spade symbol means that the Updated American Standard Version (UASV) is completed for this chapter. It will be linked to jump you to that Bible book.
♣ The club symbol means that there is a textual issue in this verse in this variant unit. It will be linked to jump you to that textual commentary article.
♦ The diamond symbol means that there is an exegetical commentary chapter for this Bible book. It will be linked to jump you to that exegetical commentary article.
♥ The heart symbol means that there is a Bible difficulty for the verse of this Bible book. It will be linked to jump you to that Bible difficulty article.

The Greek-English New Testament Interlinear (GENTI)

1♣ ΒίβλοςBook γενέσεωςof origin Ἰησοῦof Jesus ΧριστοῦChrist υἱοῦson Δαυεὶδof David υἱοῦson ᾿Αβραάμ.of Abraham.

2 ᾿ΑβραὰμAbraham ἐγέννησενfathered τὸνthe Ἰσαάκ,Isaac, ἸσαὰκIsaac δὲbut ἐγέννησενfathered τὸνthe Ἰακώβ,Jacob, ἸακὼβJacob δὲbut ἐγέννησενfathered τὸνthe ἸούδανJudah καὶand τοὺςthe ἀδελφοὺςbrothers αὐτοῦ,of him, 3 ἸούδαςJudah δὲbut ἐγέννησενfathered τὸνthe ΦαρὲςPerez καὶand τὸνthe ΖαρὰZerah ἐκout of τῆςthe Θάμαρ,Tamar, ΦαρὲςPerez δὲbut ἐγέννησενfathered τὸνthe Ἑσρώμ,Hezron, ἙσρὼμHezron δὲbut ἐγέννησενfathered τὸνthe ᾿Αράμ,Ram, 4 ᾿ΑρὰμRam δὲbut ἐγέννησενfathered τὸνthe ᾿Αμιναδάβ,Amminadab, ᾿ΑμιναδὰβAmminadab δὲbut ἐγέννησενfathered τὸνthe Ναασσών,Nahshon, ΝαασσὼνNahshon δὲbut ἐγέννησενfathered τὸνthe Σαλμών,Salmon, 5 ΣαλμὼνSalmon δὲbut ἐγέννησενfathered τὸνthe ΒοὲςBoazἐκout of τῆςthe Ῥαχάβ,Rahab, ΒοὲςBoaz δὲbut ἐγέννησενfathered τὸνthe ἸωβὴδObed ἐκout of τῆςthe Ῥούθ,Ruth, ἸωβὴδObed δὲbut ἐγέννησενfathered τὸνthe Ἰεσσαί,Jesse, 6 ἸεσσαὶJesse δὲbut ἐγέννησενfathered τὸνthe ΔαυεὶδDavid τὸνthe βασιλέα.♣king.

ΔαυεὶδDavid δὲbut ἐγέννησενfathered τὸνthe ΣολομῶναSolomon ἐκout of    τῆςthe [wife] τοῦof Οὐρίου,Uriah, 7 ΣολομὼνSolomon δὲbut ἐγέννησενfathered τὸνthe Ῥοβοάμ,Rehoboam, ῬοβοὰμRehoboam δὲbut ἐγέννησενfathered τὸνthe ᾿Αβιά,Abijah, ᾿ΑβιὰAbijah δὲbut ἐγέννησενfathered τὸνthe ᾿Ασάφ,♣Asa, 8 ᾿ΑσὰφAsa♣ δὲbut ἐγέννησενfathered τὸνthe Ἰωσαφάτ,Jehoshaphat, ἸωσαφὰτJehoshaphat δὲbut ἐγέννησενfathered τὸνthe Ἰωράμ,Jehoram, ἸωρὰμJehoram δὲbut ἐγέννησενfathered τὸνthe Ὀζείαν,Uzziah, 9 ὈζείαςUzziah♥ δὲbut ἐγέννησενfathered τὸνthe Ἰωαθάμ,Jotham, ἸωαθὰμJotham δὲbut ἐγέννησενfathered τὸνthe Ἄχαζ,Ahaz, ἌχαζAhaz δὲbut ἐγέννησενfathered τὸνthe Ἑζεκίαν,Hezekiah, 

12 ΜετὰAfter δὲbut τὴνthe μετοικεσίανdeportation Βαβυλῶνοςof Babylon ἸεχονίαςJechoniah ἐγέννησενfathered τὸνthe Σαλαθιήλ,Shealtiel, ΣαλαθιὴλShealtiel δὲbut ἐγέννησενfathered τὸνthe Ζοροβάβελ,Zerubbabel,

The Text of P¹ According to Comfort

Verso

α

[1:1] βιβλος γενεσεως ΙΥ ΧΥ ΥΥ δαυιδ [ΥΥ]

αβρααμ [1:2] αβρααμ ε̣γ̣εννησεν τον̣ [ισαακ]

ισαακ δ̣[ε] ε̣γενν̣η̣σεν τ[ον] ιακω̣β̣ [ιακωβ]

δε εγ[ε]ν̣ν̣ησεν̣ τ̣ον̣ ιου̣δαν κ̣[α]ι̣ τ̣[ους]

α̣[δ]ελφο̣υ̣ς αυτου [1:3] ιουδα̣ς̣ δ̣ε εγεν̣ν̣η̣

σ̣ε̣ν̣ τον φαρες και τον ζαρε εκ της θα̣

μ̣αρ̣ φαρες δε εγεννησεν τον ε̣σρ̣ωμ

εσ[ρω]μ̣ δε εγ̣ε̣ννη̣σ̣ε̣ν τ̣[ο]ν̣ α̣ρ̣α̣μ̣ [1:4] α̣[ραμ]

δε̣ [ε]γ̣ε̣ννησεν το̣ν̣ α̣μ̣μ̣ι̣ν̣α̣δ̣α̣β̣ α̣μ̣

μ̣[ι]ν̣α̣δ̣[α]β δε εγεννησεν̣ τον ναασ̣σων

ν̣αα[σ]σων δε εγενν[ησ]ε̣ν τον σαλ̣[μω]ν

[1:5] σαλμων δε εγενν[η]σ̣εν τον βοες̣ [εκ]

της ραχαβ βοες δε ε̣γ̣ε̣ννησεν τον ι

ωβηδ εκ της ρ[ο]υθ ιω̣[βηδ δ]ε εγεννη̣

σεν τον ιεσ̣σ̣α̣ι [1:6] ιεσ̣σ̣[αι] δ̣ε ε̣γ̣ε̣ν̣νησεν

τον δα̣υ̣ι̣δ̣ τ̣ον βα̣σιλ̣ε̣[α δαυ]ι̣δ̣ δ̣ε̣ εγ̣εν

νησ̣εν τον σο̣λο̣μωνα̣ ε̣κ̣ τ̣η̣ς ουρειου. [1:7] σο̣

λομ̣ων δε εγενν̣ησ̣εν̣ τ̣ο̣ν̣ [ρ]οβοαμ ροβο

α̣μ δε εγ̣ενν̣η̣σ̣εν̣ τ̣[ο]ν̣ [αβει]α αβ̣ει̣α̣ δε

εγεν̣ν̣ησεν [το]ν ασα̣[φ] [1:8] [α]σ[α]φ̣ δε̣ ε̣γ̣ε̣ν

νη̣σ̣ε̣ν̣ τον ιωσαφατ̣ ι̣[ω]σ̣α̣φατ δ[ε] ε̣γε̣ν

ν[η]σ̣ε̣[ν] το̣ν̣ ιωραμ ιωρ̣α̣μ̣ δε εγεν̣[νησεν

τον] ο̣ζε̣[ι]α̣ν [1:9] οζει̣ας̣ δ̣ε εγ̣εν̣[νησεν]

lacuna [1:12] lacuna [με

τοικεσιαν βαβυλωνος ιεχονι]ας εγ[εν

νησεν] lacuna

[   ] Indicates conjectural reconstruction of the beginning or ending of a manuscript, or, within the transcriptions, letters or words most likely to have been in the original manuscript.

14 ᾿ΑζὼρAzor δὲbut ἐγέννησενfathered τὸνthe Σαδώκ,Zadok, ΣαδὼκZadok δὲbut ἐγέννησενfathered τὸνthe ᾿Αχείμ,Achim, ᾿ΑχεὶμAchim δὲbut ἐγέννησενfathered τὸνthe ᾿Ελιούδ,Eliud, 15 ᾿ΕλιοὺδEliud δὲbut ἐγέννησενfathered τὸνthe ᾿Ελεάζαρ,Eleazar, ᾿ΕλεάζαρEleazar δὲbut ἐγέννησενfathered τὸνthe Μαθθάν,Matthan, ΜαθθὰνMatthan δὲbut ἐγέννησενfathered τὸνthe Ἰακώβ,Jacob, 16♣ ἸακὼβJacob δὲbut ἐγέννησενfathered τὸνthe ἸωσὴφJoseph τὸνthe ἄνδραhusband Μαρίας,of Mary, ἐξout of   ἧς  whom ἐγεννήθηwas fathered ἸησοῦςJesus ὁthe (one) λεγόμενοςbeing said Χριστός.Christ.

17 ΠᾶσαιAll οὖνtherefore αἱthe γενεαὶgenerations ἀπὸfrom ᾿ΑβραὰμAbraham ἕωςuntil ΔαυεὶδDavid γενεαὶgenerations δεκατέσσαρες,fourteen, καὶand ἀπὸfrom ΔαυεὶδDavid ἕωςuntil τῆςthe μετοικεσίαςdeportation Βαβυλῶνοςof Babylon γενεαὶgenerations δεκατέσσαρες,fourteen, καὶand ἀπὸfrom τῆςthe μετοικεσίαςdeportation Βαβυλῶνοςof Babylon ἕωςuntil τοῦthe χριστοῦChrist γενεαὶgenerations δεκατέσσαρες.fourteen.

18 ΤοῦOf the δὲbut ἸησοῦJesus ΧριστοῦChrist ἡthe γένεσιςbirth♣ οὕτωςthus ἦν.was. ΜνηστευθείσηςHaving been promised in marriage τῆςof the μητρὸςmother αὐτοῦof him Μαρίας♥Mary τῷto the Ἰωσήφ,Joseph, πρὶνbefore ἢor συνελθεῖνto come together αὐτοὺςthem εὑρέθηshe was found ἐνin γαστρὶbelly ἔχουσαhaving ἐκout of πνεύματοςspirit ἁγίου.♣holy. 19 ἸωσὴφJoseph δὲbut ὁthe ἀνὴρhusband αὐτῆς,of her, δίκαιοςrighteous ὢνbeing καὶand μὴnot θέλωνwilling αὐτὴνher δειγματίσαι,to make a public spectacle of, ἐβουλήθηintended λάθρᾳsecretly ἀπολῦσαιto release αὐτήν.her. 20 ΤαῦταThese (things) δὲbut αὐτοῦof him ἐνθυμηθέντοςhaving thought ἰδοὺlook! ἄγγελοςangel Κυρίουof Lord κατ’according to ὄναρdream ἐφάνηappeared αὐτῷto him λέγωνsaying ἸωσὴφJoseph υἱὸςson Δαυείδ,of David, μὴnot φοβηθῇςyou should be afraid παραλαβεῖνto take along ΜαρίανMary τὴνthe γυναῖκάwife σου,of you, τὸthe (thing) γὰρfor ἐνin αὐτῇher γεννηθὲνconceived ἐκout of πνεύματόςspirit ἐστινis ἁγίου·holy; 

Recto

[1:14] [lacuna] β

[τον σ]α̣δω[κ σ]αδωκ̣ δε̣ ε̣γεννησεν το[ν

αχειμ] αχ̣ειμ δε εγε[ν]νησεν τον ελιου[δ]

[1:15] [ελιου]δ̣ δ̣ε̣ εγ[εν]νη̣[σ]ε̣[ν] τον ελε̣α̣ζαρ ελε

[αζ]α̣ρ [δε εγ]ενν̣ησεν [το]ν μ̣α̣θ̣θα̣ν̣ μαθθα̣[ν]

δ̣ε ε̣γε̣ν̣νη̣[σ]ε̣ν τον̣ [ι]ακωβ [1:16] ια̣κωβ δε

[εγ]εννησ̣εν̣ τ̣ον ιωσ̣η̣φ τον α̣νδρα μ̣[α]

ρ̣ι̣ας̣ [ε]ξ ης εγενν[ηθ]η̣ ΙΣ ο λεγομενο[ς ΧΣ]

[1:17] π̣ασ̣α̣ι̣ ο̣υ̣ν̣ γ̣ε̣[νε]α̣ι̣ α̣πο αβρααμ εω̣ς̣

δαυιδ γενεαι ΙΔ και̣ απο̣ [δ]α̣[υ]ι̣δ̣ [ε]ω̣ς̣ τ̣η̣[ς]

μετοικεσ̣ια̣ς βαβυλωνο̣[ς] γ̣ε[νεαι] ΙΔ κ̣α̣[ι]

α̣π̣ο της μετ̣[οι]κεσι̣ας βα̣β[υ]λων̣[ο]ς εως

του ΧΥ γ̣ενε̣α̣ι̣ [Ι]Δ [1:18] του δε ΙΥ ΧΥ η γενε

σις ουτως ην μ̣ν̣ηστ̣ε̣[υ]θεισης της μη

τρος αυτου μ̣[αρι]α̣[ς] τω̣ [ιω]σηφ πριν η συν

[ε]λ̣θε̣[ι]ν αυ[το]υ̣[ς] ε̣υ̣ρε̣[θη] ε̣ν γ̣αστρι εχου

σα̣ ε̣[κ ΠΝΣ αγιου] [1:19] [ιωσηφ δε ο] ανη̣ρ̣ α̣υ̣

τ̣η̣ς̣ [δι]κ̣α̣ι[ος ων και μη θελων αυτην]

δ̣ειγμα̣[τ]ε̣[ισαι εβουλη]θ̣η̣ [λαθρα

α]π̣ο̣λυ[σαι] α̣[υ]τ̣[η]ν̣ [1:20] [τ]αυ̣τ̣α̣ [δε αυτου εν

θ]υ̣μ̣η[θεντος ι]δ̣ο̣υ̣ α̣γ̣[γελο]ς̣ ΚΥ [κ]α̣[τ

ο]ν̣αρ [εφανη αυ]τω̣ [λεγων] ι̣ω̣σ̣[η]φ

υιος] δ̣[αυιδ] μ̣[η] φο̣[βηθη]ς̣ π̣α̣ρ̣[αλαβ]ει̅

[μ]α̣ρι̣α̣ν̣ [την] γ̣υ̣ναι[κα σου] τ̣ο̣ [γαρ εν αυ

τη γεν]νηθ̣ε̣ν̣ ε̣[κ] ΠΝΣ [εστιν] α̣[γιου]

[1:21-23] lacuna

με̣[θερμηνευομενον μεθ ημων ο ΘΣ]

Facsimiles (large files, high resolution images):

• P1 Verso

• P1 Recto

• Digital image of P1 at CSNTM

Disagreement with Vaticanus (according to Hoskier)

Papyrus 1 ΥΥ ΔΑΥΙΔ ΑΜΙΝΑΔΑΒ ΔΑΥΙΔ ΤΗΣ ΟΥΡΕΙΟΥ ΑΒ[ΕΙ]Α ΑΒΕΙΑ ΕΓΕ[ΝΗΣΕΝ] illeg illeg illeg ΜΑΘΘΑΝ ΙΩΣΗΦ ΓΕΝΕΑΙ ΔΑΥΙΔ ΔΑΥΙΔ ΙΔ ΙΥ ΧΥ ΔΕΙΓΜΑ[Τ]ΕΙΣΑΙ ΔΑΥΙΔ

Vaticanus ΥΙΟΥ ΔΑΥΕΙΔ ΑΜΕΙΝΑΔΑΒ ΔΑΥΕΙΔ ΤΗΣ ΤΟΥ ΟΥΡΕΙΟΥ ΑΒΙΑ ΑΒΙΑ ΓΕΝΝΑ ΤΟΝ ΣΕΛΑΘΙΗΛ ΣΕΛΑΘΙΗΛ ΔΕ ΓΕΝΝΑ ΑΒΙΟΥΤ ΜΑΤΘΑΝ ΤΟΝ ΙΩΣΗΦ ΑΙ ΓΕΝΕΑΙ ΔΑΥΕΙΔ ΔΑΥΕΙΔ ΔΕΚΑΤΕΣΣΑΡΕΣ ΧΥ ΙΥ ΔΕΙΓΜΑΤΙΣΑΙ ΔΑΥΕΙΔ

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