Papyrus 15 (in the Gregory-Aland numbering), signed by P15, is an early copy of the New Testament in Greek. It was originally a papyrus manuscript of the Pauline Corpus of letters, but now only contains 1 Corinthians 7:18-8:4. The manuscript has been palaeographically assigned to the 3rd century.
Description of P15
The manuscript is written in a documentary hand. There are about 37-38 lines per page. Grenfell and Hunt conjectured that P15 and P16 might have been part of the same manuscript. Both manuscripts have the same formation of letters, line space, and punctuation.
The Greek text of this codex is probably a representative of the Alexandrian text-type; however, the text is too brief to determine this exactly. Aland placed it in Category I. It was the last papyrus classified by Gregory, in 1915. It is currently housed at the Egyptian Museum (JE 47423) in Cairo.
Philip W. Comfort,
P15 (P. Oxy. 1008)
Contents 1 Cor. 7:18–8:4
Date late third century
Provenance Oxyrhynchus, Egypt
Housing location Cairo, Egypt: Egyptian Museum of Antiquities (JE 47423)
Bibliography Grenfell and Hunt, Oxy. Pap., 7:4–8, no. 1008.
Physical features one leaf; originally 18 cm x 26 cm; 37–38 lines per page. This manuscript was part of the same codex to which P16 belonged (see discussion below). It is written in a documentary hand.
Textual character Metzger calls this manuscript “Alexandrian,” as does Schofield, who says that P15 probably represented the best tradition of that time in Egypt. The Alands classify P15 as being somewhere between “normal” and “strict.” In important variants (1 Cor. 7:34; 8:2, 3a, 3b—as listed in UBS3), P15 agrees with B four times against P46 and agrees three times with א (or אc), A, and D against P46. Overall, P15 and P16 show approximately 80 percent agreement with א and B.
Papyrus 16 (in the Gregory-Aland numbering), designated by 16, is an early copy of the New Testament in Greek. Originally, it may have been part of a papyrus manuscript of the Pauline Corpus of letters, but now only contains Philippians 3:10-17; 4:2-8. The manuscript has been paleographically assigned to the late 3rd century (275-300 C.E.
The manuscript is written in a documentary hand. There are about 37-38 lines per page. Grenfell and Hunt conjectured that 15 and 16 might have been part of the same manuscript. Both manuscripts have the same formation of letters, line space, and punctuation.
The nomina sacra are written in an abbreviated way. The text was not corrected.
The Greek text of this codex is a representative of the Alexandrian text-type (rather proto-Alexandrian). Aland placed it in Category I. This manuscript diverges from the text of UBS4 8 times, from Codex Vaticanus 9 times, and from Codex Sinaiticus 10 times. P16 diverges from readings of the majority of all New Testament manuscripts 11 times.
It is currently housed at the Egyptian Museum (JE 47424) in Cairo.
Philip W. Comfort,
P16 (P. Oxy. 1009)
Contents Phil. 3:10–17; 4:2–8
Date late third century
Provenance Oxyrhynchus, Egypt
Housing location Cairo, Egypt: Egyptian Museum of Antiquities (JE 47424)
Bibliography*Grenfell and Hunt, Oxy. Pap., 7:8–11, no. 1009.
Schofield, “Papyrus Fragments,” 175–78.
Physical features one leaf; originally 18 cm x 26 cm; 38–39 lines per page; written in a documentary hand.
Textual character P16 exhibits the same textual affinities with א and B as does P15.
P16 was discovered together with P15. Grenfell and Hunt conjectured that P16 and P15 might have been parts of the same manuscript, written in a documentary hand. Both manuscripts have the same formation of letters (especially the formation of η, ρ, σ, ω), line space, and punctuation (indicated by spacing). The only notable difference is the color of ink on both manuscripts. However, this distinction probably indicates that the same scribe switched to a different ink sometime after making 1 Corinthians and before copying Philippians. Since these manuscripts are from the same codex, it only stands to reason that they were originally a part of a Pauline corpus. Furthermore, the two must have the same date (late third century), not third century for P15 and third or fourth century for P16 (contra the Alands).
Grenfell and Hunt dated these fragments to the fourth century. But this dating, influenced by their conception as to when the Christian codex was developed, is too late—by a century. The Alands concur. But since they do not think P15 and P16 are the work of the same scribe and do not belong to the same codex, they date them differently. However, a close study reveals their common identity; therefore, they must be dated the same. G. Cavallo calls the style “ogivale inclinato” (rounded, slanted uncial), which is very typical of third-century manuscripts.
