The passage describes a “miracle” performed by Jesus as a child, according to the Gospel of Thomas, which says he brought clay bird figurines to life.
German researchers have identified a manuscript dating back to the 1600s that refers to the childhood of Jesus Christ. Arkeonews reported this.
The fragment, dated to the 4th-5th century AD, is part of Gospels, which tells the story of Jesus’ childhood. In particular, it contains references to the “miracle” that Jesus allegedly performed as a child – he brought clay bird figurines to life.
“This is a significant discovery for the research industry because the manuscript dates back to the early days of Christianity. It is still the oldest known Greek version. Gospel of Thomas is considered a codex from the 11th century,” said a statement from the Humboldt University of Berlin.
For decades, a papyrus fragment survived with the accession number P. Hamb Graec. 1011 was not noticed in the Hamburg State University Library Karl von Ossietzky. It is believed that this document is nothing more than a very old daily record, such as a personal letter or a shopping list. Now researchers believe that a fragment of papyrus, written more than one and a half millennia ago, is not just a record, but the oldest written copy Gospelswhich describes the early years of Jesus’ life.
“We first noticed the word ‘Jesus’ in the text. Then, comparing it with many other digitized papyri, we deciphered it and quickly realized that it could not be an everyday document… The This fragment is of great interest for research. On the one hand, because we were able to date it to the 4th-5th century, making it the earliest known copy. On the other hand, because we gained new knowledge about the transmission of text,” said papyrologist Lajos Berks.
According to researchers, this manuscript Gospels were created as a writing exercise in a school or monastery – they explain the clumsy handwriting and uneven lines of religious text.
It was previously reported that archaeologists at the Saqquara necropolis near Cairo discovered a papyrus scroll containing texts from Books of the Dead.
Source: korrespondent
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