READ: Ancient Papyrus Details Childhood Story of Jesus and the “Vivification of the Sparrows”
A newly discovered fragment of papyrus has provided remarkable insights into the early life of Jesus of Nazareth. This significant find is an older version of the Infancy Gospel of Thomas, an apocryphal account that depicts the miraculous childhood of Jesus.
The fragment known as “P.Hamb.Graec. 1011” had been sitting unnoticed for decades at the Hamburg Carl von Ossietzky State and University Library. Initially dismissed as an everyday document due to its clumsy handwriting, the fragment was later identified as a significant piece of early Christian literature by papyrologists Dr. Lajos Berkes from Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Prof. Gabriel Nocchi Macedo from the University of Liège.
Previously, the earliest known example of the Infancy Gospel of Thomas dated back to the 11th century CE. However, this newly discovered piece is believed to have been written between the 4th and 5th centuries CE, bringing it much closer to the gospel’s original composition in the 2nd century CE. This makes it the earliest known copy of the text.
“The fragment is of extraordinary interest for research,” said Dr. Berkes. “Not only because it dates back to the 4th to 5th century, but also because it provides new insights into the transmission of the text.”
Dr. Nocchi Macedo added, “Our findings on this late antique Greek copy confirm that the Infancy Gospel of Thomas was originally written in Greek.”
Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Hamburg image credit (Public Domain).
The fragment measures around 11 centimeters by 5 centimeters and contains 13 Greek lines, with about 10 letters per line. The researchers initially thought it was an everyday document, like a private letter or shopping list, due to the handwriting's poor quality. It wasn’t until they noticed the word “Jesus” in the text and compared it with other digitized papyri that they realized its true significance.
The text on the fragment corresponds to a story known as the “vivification of the sparrows,” where the young Jesus is described making sparrows out of clay and then bringing them to life by clapping his hands. This story highlights the miraculous nature attributed to Jesus even in his childhood.
Read the original source article from IFLScience.