The Jesus Papyrus by Carsten Peter Thiede

Hereunder is the BRF report on 'Papyrus Magdalen GR17 and the Textus Receptus:' Among other things, what is significant is the Magdalens bearing on the identification of the traditional text. The Magdalen GR17 consists of 3 small fragments, and is a portion of Matthews Gospel (Matt 26:7-8, 26:10, 14-15, 22-23, 31-33). Further, the papyrus was printed on both sides (ie front and back), a common printing-form of the 1st century AD. He concluded this to be so based on the style of handwriting which was that of the mid-first century, similar to the manuscripts found at Qumran. This makes the Magdalen papyrus one of the oldest known fragments of the new Testament, and one of the most important documents in the world.' In other words, the papyrus can be dated to about AD 60 or earlier. In his bookThe Jesus Papyruspublished by Weidenfield-Nicolson (England) and Doubleday (New York) Dr Carsten Peter Thiede wrote that the Magdalen GR 17 'is to be dated to a point within the lifetimes of eyewitnesses to Christ. This is reported in the December 1996 issue of the Baptist Reformed Fellowship Journal. The falsity of this claim is evinced in the recent discovery of a papyrus called Magdalen GR 17 kept in Magdalen College, Oxford University. They are the best representives of the autographs.

We have been repeatedly told that the oldest and most reliable manuscripts are the Vaticanus and Sinaiticus codices.

The Jesus Papyrus by Carsten Peter Thiede