Posted on 12/09/2015 8:45:54 AM PST by SeekAndFind
You could have bought an ancient religious text online for less than $100.
That text was an ancient Greek papyrus fragment of the Gospel of John (likely John 1:50-51), and was listed on eBay with an opening bid of $99, according to The New York Times.
The papyrus -- called the "Willoughby Papyrus" since it belonged to Harold Willoughby, a University of Chicago professor, according to the eBay listing -- didn’t stay there for long. Dr. Geoffrey Smith, who researches Christianity at the University of Texas, contacted the seller and asked if he could research the fragment, The Times reported.
"I thought, 'This can't be allowed to sell on eBay,'" Smith told The Times. "It will just disappear into a private collection."
After receiving the papyrus, Smith presented his findings this past week at a conference in Atlanta.
The papyrus, which is from around 250 to 350 A.D, is about the size of a credit card and contains about six lines from the Gospel of John.
The text is unique since it is written on an "unused school rather than a codex," which was the new technology of book writing for Christian believers during that time period, The Times reported.
It's also unique since it was discovered on the Internet, which Smith said is a sign of the times.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsok.com ...
It was already part of a private collection. If you want to give it to a library, shell out what it is worth (don't stiff the seller just because they didn't know to ask for more) and donate it yourself.
Or why didn’t Smith buy it or have his institution buy it?
Possible 1800 year-old Greek papyrus?
Possible John 1:50-51?
Possible GGG ping?
Jesus said, “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that.” He then added, “I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
Dr. Smith declined to identify the seller. But in the text of the listing copied on Dr. Jones's blog, the seller said the papyrus had been in the private collection of Harold R. Willoughby, a professor of early Christianity at the University of Chicago who died in 1962.
The seller, who identified himself in the listing as a relative of Mr. Willoughby, told Mr. Smith that he had found the papyrus only recently, after opening a suitcase of Mr. Willoughby's possessions that he had acquired in 1990 and stashed in his attic.
Thanks Pollster1.
written on an “unused school
****
I am assuming that should say “unused scroll”. Or is there some meaning of “school” of which I am unaware?
:’) What, you’re expecting a spellchecker to do the job of a live human editor? ;’)
Catholic ping!
Yeah, I guess proofreading one’s work is just too old-fashioned.
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