Introduction to P135

Papyrus 135, designated as 𝔓135 in the Gregory-Aland numbering system and catalogued as G. C. Pap. 000531, is a fragmentary Greek manuscript of the New Testament. Contrary to early confusion or speculation associating it with the Gospel of John, 𝔓135 contains portions of Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians, specifically Galatians 3:21–22, 28–29; 4:31–5:6, 10–15. This papyrus is a valuable witness to the textual history of one of Paul’s most theologically rich letters, emphasizing justification by faith and Christian freedom.

Dated to the 4th or 5th century C.E., 𝔓135 is part of the Museum of the Bible Manuscript Collection in Washington, D.C. Its readings align with the Alexandrian text-type, which was dominant in Egypt and surrounding regions and is widely regarded as the most reliable family of New Testament manuscripts based on early attestation and consistent transmission.

The standard scholarly reference for P135 is G. Fish, Greek Papyri in the Museum Collection, E. J. Brill, 2018. This publication includes transcription, paleographic data, and comparative analysis, situating the manuscript within the broader corpus of New Testament papyri.

Date of P135

The handwriting style of P135 supports a 4th–5th century C.E. paleographic assignment. The scribe used a biblical majuscule script that reflects the transitional period of late antiquity, where rounder, more uniform letterforms became prominent, moving away from the earlier, angular hands of the 2nd and 3rd centuries. While it does not exhibit the elegance of Codex Vaticanus (early 4th century) or Codex Sinaiticus (mid-4th century), it represents a scribal tradition consistent with other literary manuscripts of the period.

The presence of ligatures, enlarged letters at line beginnings, and standard abbreviations (nomina sacra) confirm that the scribe was trained and that the manuscript belonged to the Christian literary tradition firmly established by this time. There is no indication of casual or documentary handwriting, and no idiosyncratic or unorthodox forms have been detected in the extant lines.

Content of P135

𝔓135 contains the following discontinuous excerpts from Paul’s Letter to the Galatians:

Galatians 3:21–22 — A theological argument clarifying that the Law is not opposed to the promises of God but was given to reveal sin and point to the promise by faith in Jesus Christ.

Galatians 3:28–29 — A doctrinal statement declaring the spiritual unity of all believers in Christ: “There is neither Jew nor Greek… you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

Galatians 4:31–5:6 — A transition from allegory to exhortation, emphasizing Christian freedom and the warning against returning to the Law as a means of justification.

Galatians 5:10–15 — A section warning against false teachers, reaffirming that the offense of the cross remains, and exhorting believers to use their liberty for loving service rather than for the flesh.

These sections include theologically rich and doctrinally critical verses central to Paul’s message. Although incomplete, the manuscript provides significant insights into how Galatians was transmitted during the fourth and fifth centuries and offers variant readings that help trace the history of the Alexandrian text.

Physical Features of P135

𝔓135 survives in several small papyrus fragments. The writing appears on both sides of the papyrus, indicating that it was part of a codex—the dominant Christian book form by the fourth century. The surviving fragments do not include page numbers or extensive margins, but they preserve enough lines to determine the content with confidence.

The script is a rounded uncial typical of the 4th–5th century C.E., with consistent letter height and spacing. The hand shows care and skill, and while no elaborate decorations or headings survive, the clarity and regularity of the script suggest it was meant for liturgical or communal reading, not just private study.

As expected for the period, the scribe employed nomina sacra, abbreviating divine names with a horizontal overline. Common abbreviations in the fragment include ΘΣ (Theos), ΧΣ (Christos), and ΙΣ (Iēsous). The absence of punctuation and spacing between words is also typical of the time.

Damage to the papyrus prevents full line reconstruction in many places, but the surviving portions permit collation with the major textual witnesses, confirming its textual affiliations.

Textual Character of P135

Although fragmentary, the readings preserved in P135 show a strong alignment with the Alexandrian text-type, which is well-attested in Egypt and frequently affirmed by early papyri such as P46, P66, and P75, and later codices like Vaticanus (03) and Sinaiticus (01). The Alexandrian text is known for its brevity, grammatical precision, and doctrinal clarity, as opposed to the fuller and sometimes harmonized readings of the Byzantine tradition.

A few key observations:

Galatians 3:21–22
P135 confirms the reading that the Law was not given to bring life, but was given to confine all under sin. This doctrinal statement is preserved in agreement with Codex Vaticanus and P46, supporting the older Alexandrian form over later expansions.

Galatians 3:28
The iconic unity formula—“There is neither Jew nor Greek… for you are all one in Christ Jesus”—is preserved in form consistent with Codices B and א (Vaticanus and Sinaiticus), including the word order and use of εἷς (“one”) in Christ. This testifies to the manuscript’s fidelity to early Alexandrian witnesses.

Galatians 5:1–6
In this important ethical and theological exhortation, P135 preserves part of verse 1: “For freedom Christ has set us free…” (τῇ ἐλευθερίᾳ ἡμᾶς Χριστὸς ἠλευθέρωσεν). The fragment does not reflect any of the textual alterations found in later Byzantine manuscripts that attempt to clarify or smooth Paul’s style.

Galatians 5:11
The clause “Then has the offense of the cross ceased?” is preserved in alignment with the Alexandrian form, which emphasizes that the scandal of the cross remains, contrasting it with the message of circumcision. This variant affirms the primitive and theological core of Paul’s argument.

Overall, the manuscript’s readings do not display any Western paraphrasing or Byzantine expansions. There is no evidence of harmonization to other Pauline letters, nor any signs of doctrinal revision.

Significance for Textual Criticism

Though fragmentary, P135 is significant for multiple reasons:

1. Affirmation of the Alexandrian Text — It strengthens the case for the Alexandrian text-type in Galatians during the 4th–5th centuries. This contributes to the documented consistency of the Alexandrian stream across multiple centuries and geographic areas.

2. Comparison with P46 — While P46 (dated c. 175–225 C.E.) is the earliest major papyrus of Paul’s epistles, P135 provides a valuable point of comparison two centuries later, showing the relative stability of Galatians’ text within the Alexandrian tradition.

3. Contextual Continuity — The manuscript’s readings correspond to those found in Codex Vaticanus and Codex Sinaiticus, reaffirming the stability and accuracy of the Alexandrian textual tradition across the early to late imperial periods.

4. Unique Provenance — As part of the Museum of the Bible’s collection, P135 has been subjected to modern conservation and high-resolution imaging, enabling scholars to engage with its text with precision. The reference work by G. Fish (2018) has made its content accessible to the scholarly community.

In summary, P135 offers another piece of the puzzle in tracing the textual history of Paul’s epistles. Though it does not preserve complete passages, its fragmentary witness confirms that the Alexandrian text of Galatians remained stable through centuries of transmission and was faithfully copied well into the 4th and 5th centuries.

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