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Ben C. Smith
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The Cairo gospel.

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Cairo Gospel
Information

Source: Papyrus Cairensis 10735 (century VI or VII).
The Cairo Gospel may be part of a an actual gospel text, or it may simply be part of an amulet text, a homily, a commentary, or a catena; its brevity prevents any firm conclusions as to its original and overall character.
Index to other gospel texts.

Text and Translation

Papyrus Cairensis 10735
Papyrus Cairensis 10735
Recto
1 Ἄγγελος κ(υρίο)υ ἐλάλησεν· Ἰω[σήφ, ἐγερθεὶς]
2 παράλαβε Μαρίαν τὴν γ[υναῖκα σου καὶ]
3 φεῦγε εἰς Αἴγυπτον κοι[.]
4 [...] α[...]
5 τ[.]ιβιο[...] ρ[.]
6 πᾶν δῶρον κ(αὶ) ἐὰν[.]
7 φίλους αὐτοῦ καθ[.]
8 βασιλέως λ[.]
9 εισ[...]υ[....]
Recto
1 The angel of the Lord spoke: Jo[seph, having arisen,]
2 take Mary the w[ife of yours ...]
3 flee into Egypt ???[.]
4 [...] ?[...]
5 ?[.]????[...] ?[.]
6 every gift, a(nd) if [.]
7 his friends ???[.]
8 of the king [.]
9 ???[...]?[....]
Verso
1 [..] ἑρμηνευέτω σοι. ὁ [δὲ]
2 [ἀρχιστράτηγός] φησι τῇ παρθένῳ· ἰδού,
3 [Ἐλισάβετ ἡ συγ]γενής σου κ(αὶ) αὐτὴ συν-
4 [εἴληφε καὶ ἕκτο]ς ἐστὶ μὴν αὐτῇ τῇ κα[λου-]
5 [μένῃ στείρᾳ. ἐν] τῷ ἕκτῳ, ὅ ἐστιν [θώθ, μη-]
6 [νὶ ἡ μ(ήτη)ρ ἄρα Ἰω]άννην συνέλαβε.
7 [ἔδει δὲ προκηρύσ]σειν τὸν ἀρχιστρά-
8 [τηγον Ἰωάννην τὸ]ν οἰκέτην προβαδί-
9 [ζοντα τῆς τοῦ κ(υρίο)υ αὐτοῦ] παρουσίας.
10 [.]τα[....]
Verso
1 [..] let him interpret for you. [And] the
2 [archgeneral] says to the virgin: Behold
3 [Elizabeth the kins]woman of yours, and she con-
4 [ceived and] it is [the sixt]h month for her wh[o is]
5 [called barren. In] the sixth [month], which is [Thoth,]
6 [the m(oth)er] conceived [Jo]hn.
7 [But it was necessary] that the archgener[al her]ald
8 [John beforehand to be th]e houseservant who was to go be-
9 [fore ...] the advent [of his Lord.]
10 [.]??[....]

Notes and Quotes

Context and Textual Parallels

Papyrus Cairensis 10735 Recto, unbroken text and translation: Ἄγγελος κ(υρίο)υ ἐλάλησεν· Ἰω[σήφ, ἐγερθεὶς] παράλαβε Μαρίαν τὴν γ[υναῖκα σου καὶ] φεῦγε εἰς Αἴγυπτον κοι[....] α[...] τ[.]ιβιο[...] ρ[.] πᾶν δῶρον κ(αὶ) ἐὰν[.] φίλους αὐτοῦ καθ[.] βασιλέως λ[.] εισ[...]υ[....] / The angel of the Lord spoke: Jo[seph, having arisen,] take Mary the w[ife of yours ...] flee into Egypt ???[....] ?[...] ?[.]????[...] ?[.] every gift, a(nd) if [.] his friends ???[.] of the king [.] ???[...]?[....]
Papyrus Cairensis 10735 Recto, translation by Ehrman and Plese: The angel of the Lord said, "Joseph, Rise up, take Mary your wife and flee to Egypt, and.... ...every gift and if... his friends... of the king...."
Matthew 2.13: 13 Ἀναχωρησάντων δὲ αὐτῶν ἰδοὺ, ἄγγελος κυρίου φαίνεται κατ᾿ ὄναρ τῷ Ἰωσὴφ, λέγων· Ἐγερθεὶς παράλαβε τὸ παιδίον καὶ τὴν μητέρα αὐτοῦ καὶ φεῦγε εἰς Αἴγυπτον, καὶ ἴσθι ἐκεῖ ἕως ἂν εἴπω σοι· μέλλει γὰρ Ἡρῴδης ζητεῖν τὸ παιδίον τοῦ ἀπολέσαι αὐτό. / 13 But after they departed behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying: Arise and take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt, and be there until I say otherwise to you. For Herod is about to seek the child to destroy him.

Papyrus Cairensis 10735 Verso, unbroken text and translation: [..]ἑρμηνευέτω σοι. ὁ [δὲ ἀρχιστράτηγός] φησι τῇ παρθένῳ· ἰδού, [Ἐλισάβετ ἡ συγ]γενής σου κ(αὶ) αὐτὴ συν[εἴληφε καὶ ἕκτο]ς ἐστὶ μὴν αὐτῇ τῇ κα[λουμένῃ στείρᾳ. ἐν] τῷ ἕκτῳ, ὅ ἐστιν [θώθ, μηνὶ ἡ μ(ήτη)ρ ἄρα Ἰω]άννην συνέλαβε. [ἔδει δὲ προκηρύσ]σειν τὸν ἀρχιστρά[τηγον Ἰωάννην τὸ]ν οἰκέτην προβαδί[ζοντα τῆς τοῦ κ(υρίο)υ αὐτοῦ] παρουσίας [.]τα[....] / [..] let him interpret for you. [And] the [archgeneral] says to the virgin: Behold [Elizabeth the kins]woman of yours, and she con[ceived and] it is [the sixt]h month for her wh[o is called barren. In] the sixth [month], which is [Thoth, the m(oth)er] conceived [Jo]hn. [But it was necessary] that the archgener[al her]ald [John beforehand to be th]e houseservant who was to go be[fore ...] the advent [of his Lord.] ??[....]
Papyrus Cairensis 10735 Verso, translation by Ehrman and Plese: "...you should understand." Then the leader of hosts said to the virgin, "Behold Elizabeth your relative has also conceived and it is the sixth month for her who has been called barren." In the sixth month of the year, which is (called) Thoth, the mother of John conceived him. But it was necessary that the leader of the hosts proclaim John in advance, the servant who precedes the coming of his Lord.
Luke 1.36-37: 36 καὶ ἰδοὺ, Ἐλισάβετ ἡ συγγενίς σου καὶ αὐτὴ συνείληφεν υἱὸν ἐν γήρει αὐτῆς, καὶ οὗτος μὴν ἕκτος ἐστὶν αὐτῇ τῇ καλουμένῃ στείρᾳ, 37 ὅτι οὐκ ἀδυνατήσει παρὰ τοῦ θεοῦ πᾶν ῥῆμα. / 36 And behold, Elizabeth your kinswoman has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her, the one who is called sterile, 37 because with God no word will be impossible.

Works Consulted and Links

Vasileios Tzerpos, O Papyrus Cairensis Graecus 10735 (P.Cair.G 10735) και η σχέση του με τα Ευαγγέλια του Κανόνος της Καινής Διαθήκης.
Bart Ehrman and Zlatko Plese, The Apocryphal Gospels: Texts and Translations.
TextExcavation: Papyrus Cairensis 10735.
Biblical Criticism & History Forum: Other Gospel Texts.

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