While I welcome the original scraps of scripture and later letters that are found, I am confident that we already have a completely reliable source of information on early Christianity.
Posted on 09/05/2014 8:29:58 PM PDT by lbryce
A 1,500-year old piece of papyrus recently re-discovered in a U.K. university library contains some of the earliest documented references to the Last Supper and ‘manna from heaven.’
The papyrus fragment with Greek writing, held by the University of Manchester’s John Rylands library since 1901, has also been identified as one of the world’s earliest Christian charms. Experts believe that the fragment originated near the ancient Egyptian town of Hermoupolis.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Perhaps you might find this intriguing.
Got to love it. And they were probably overtaxed back then, too.
41 The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, “I am the bread which came down from heaven.”
42 They said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, `I have come down from heaven’?”
43 Jesus answered them, “Do not murmur among yourselves.
44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.
45 It is written in the prophets, `And they shall all be taught by God.’ Every one who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me.
46 Not that any one has seen the Father except him who is from God; he has seen the Father.
47 Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life.
48 I am the bread of life.
49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died.
50 This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that a man may eat of it and not die.
51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
52 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”
53 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; (John (RSV) 6)
The papyrus was found in Christianized Egypt before the founding of Islam.
Sorry, historical inaccuracy.
Okay. Thanks. I was wrong in making my observation. Yes, it does create a change of perspective.
Christians wearing amulets, "magic charms?" Typical of paganized Gnostics from that area in Egypt. The article says this dates back 1500 years, at 500 AD that puts us in the time Egyptian Gnostics were causing such havoc, subverting original Christian practices and beliefs.
Much of what is considered judeo-Christian iconography as well as much of the sacred myth likely came from Egypt and other ancient peoples.
This is more the opinion of the researcher than an objective description of the document from a Christian perspective. I don't see anything Gnostic about it.
“contains some of the earliest documented references to the Last Supper.”
That would be true as long as you leave out the entire New Testament. 1500 years ago would date to 600 AD, at least 400 years after the reliable dating of multiple documents containing the entire New Testament.
That would be true as long as you leave out the entire New Testament. 1500 years ago would date to 600 AD, at least 400 years after the reliable dating of multiple documents containing the entire New Testament.
Exactly what I thought when I read that line. There are so many important manuscripts and parts of manuscripts that date back before 1500 years ago.
The Christian perspective should be the perspective we see in the Bible, in this case the New Testament. We see no such thing as the wearing of amulet magic “charms” in the New Testament.
Many New Age mystic types extrapolate the practices from later times applying them to the time of original Christianity.
As to the Gnostics, you might try reading the Nag Hammadi writings. Since you seem so defensive of these Egyptian Gnostic Christians, maybe you think Gnostics get a bad rap?
Indeed, islam does not belong in Egypt, or anywhere else in the Middle East.
While I welcome the original scraps of scripture and later letters that are found, I am confident that we already have a completely reliable source of information on early Christianity.
Thanks lbryce.
Christians wearing amulets, “magic charms
When does an object become a “magic charm”? Does a cross on a chain around my neck make it a Charm?
Actually, 1500 years ago was around 500 AD, 120 years BEFORE Muhammhead.
I don’t see anything Gnostic either. I don’t know of any Christian practice of wearing charms so I can’t tell where the researcher is getting this idea and it’s clearly one she’s promoting and the fact that she says, “that the fragment is also an example of Christianity and the Bible becoming meaningful to ordinary people, not just the priests and the elite” strongly suggests what she knows about ancient Christian practices is suspect.
One of world’s earliest Christian charms found
“To this day, Christians use passages from the bible as protective charms so our amulet marks the start of an important trend in Christianity."
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