Egerton Gospel
InformationSources: Papyrus Egerton 2 & Köln 255 (century II or early century III).
The Egerton Gospel is long enough that its status as a gospel text of some kind seems assured. It has been at the epicenter of a lively debate as to the date of the papyrus fragments, particularly since it was discovered that Köln 255 and fragment 1 of Egerton 2 are from the same page.
Index to other gospel texts.
The Egerton Gospel is long enough that its status as a gospel text of some kind seems assured. It has been at the epicenter of a lively debate as to the date of the papyrus fragments, particularly since it was discovered that Köln 255 and fragment 1 of Egerton 2 are from the same page.
Index to other gospel texts.
Text and Translation
Papyrus Egerton 2 & Köln 255 | Papyrus Egerton 2 & Köln 255 |
Fragment 1 Verso / Köln 255 Verso 1 [................]ι̣. ὁ δὲ /2 [Ἰ(ησοῦς) εἶπεν] τ̣ο̣ῖ̣ς̣ ν̣ο̣μικο[ῖς· κολά- / 3 [ζετε πά]ντα̣ τ̣ὸν παραπράσσ[οντα / 4 [καὶ ἄνο]μον καὶ μὴ ἐμέ· ε[ἰ γ]ὰρ / 5 [... νο]μοπ̣οιεῖ, π̣ῶς ποιε̣[ῖ·] π̣ρὸς / 6 [δὲ τοὺς] ἄ[ρ]χ̣οντ̣ας τοῦ λαοῦ [στ]ρ̣α̣- / 7 [φεὶς εἶ]π̣ε̣ν τὸν λόγον τοῦτο̣[ν·] ἐρ̣αυ- / 8 [νᾶτε τ]ὰ̣ς γραφάς, ἐν αἷς ὑμεῖς δο- / 9 [κεῖτε] ζωὴν ἔχειν· ἐκεῖναί ε̣ἰ̣[σ]ι̣ν̣ / 10 [αἱ μαρτ]υροῦσαι περὶ ἐμοῦ· μὴ ν̣[ο-] / 11 [μίσητε ὅ]τι ἐγὼ ἦλθον κατηγο[ρ]ῆσαι / 12 [ὑμῶν] πρὸς τὸν π(ατέ)ρα μου· ἔστ̣ιν / 13 [ὁ κατη]γο̣ρῶν ὑμῶν Μω(ϋσῆς), εἰς ὃν / 14 [ὑμεῖς] ἠ̣λπίκατε· α[ὐ]τῶν δὲ λε- / 15 [γόντω]ν· ε[ὖ] οἴδαμεν ὅτ̣ι̣ Μω(ϋσεῖ) ἐλ̣ά̣- / 16 [λησεν] ὁ θ(εό)ς· σὲ δὲ οὐκ οἴδαμεν / 17 [πόθεν εἶ]· ἀποκριθεὶς ὁ Ἰη̣(σοῦς) εἶ- / 18 [πεν αὐτο]ῖς· νῦν κατηγορεῖται / 19 [ὑμῶν ἡ ἀ]π̣ιστ̣εῖ̣[α] / τοῖς ὑπ᾿ α̣ὐτοῦ 20 [γεγραμ]μ̣έ̣ν̣/ο̣ις· εἰ γὰρ ἐπι- 21 / [στεύσατε Μω(ϋσεῖ)], ἐπιστεύσατε ἄ[ν] 22 / [ἐμοί· πε]ρ[ὶ] ἐμοῦ̣ γὰρ ἐκεῖνο[ς] 23 / [ἔγραψε]ν τοῖς πατ[ρά]σ̣ι̣ν ὑ̣μῶ[ν.] 24 / [...]ε̣[....] |
Fragment 1 Verso / Köln 255 Verso 1 [................]? And /2 [J(esus) said] to the lawye[rs, "Pun- / 3 [ish ev]ery wrongdo[er / 4 [and l]aw[less one] and not me. [F]or i[f] / 5 [...] does the [l]aw, how he doe[s] (it)." / 6 [But he tu]rn[ed toward the] ru[l]ers of the / 7 people [and sa]id thi[s] word: "Se[arch] / 8 [t]he scriptures, in which you yourselves sup- / 9 [pose] you have life; these a[r]e / 10 [the ones test]ifying concerning me. Do not / 11 t[hink t]hat I myself came to accu[s]e / 12 [you] before my f(athe)r; [the] one who / 13 [acc]uses you is Mo(ses), upon whom / 14 [you] hoped." And when t[h]ey sa[id,] / 15 We we[ll] know that G(od) sp[oke] / 16 to Moses; but you, we do not know / 17 [whence you are,"] Je(sus) answered and / 18 sa[id] to [them,] "Now what is accused is / 19 [your un]belie[f] / in the things 20 [writ]e/n by him; for if you had be- 21 / [lieved Mo(ses)], you wou[ld] have believed 22 / [in me.] For tha[t] one [wrot]e concer]n[ing] 23 / me to you[r] fat[her]s. 24 / [...]?[....] |
Fragment 1 Recto \ Köln 255 Recto 1 \ [... τῷ ὄ]χ̣λ̣ῳ̣ [....] β[...]2 \ [... δὲ] λίθους ὁμοῦ̣ λ̣ι̣[θάσω-] 3 \ σι[ν αὐ]τ̣όν· καὶ ἐπέβαλον̣ [τὰς] 4 \ χεῖ[ρας] αὐτῶν ἐπ᾿ αὐτὸν οἱ̣ [ἄρχον-] 5 \ τες [ἵ]ν̣α πιάσωσιν καὶ̣ παρ̣[αδώ]σω 6 \ [σι]ν τ̣ῷ̣ ὄχλῳ̣· καὶ οὐκ ἠ̣[δύναντο] 7 \ αὐτὸν πιάσαι ὅτι οὔπω ἐ[ληλύθει] 8 \ αὐτοῦ ἡ ὥρα τῆς παραδό̣[σεως]· 9 \ α̣ὐ̣τὸς δὲ ὁ κ(ύριο)ς ἐξελθὼν [ἐκ τῶν χεί-] 10 \ ρων ἀπένευσεν ἀπ᾿ α̣[ὐτῶν·] 11 \ καὶ̣ [ἰ]δοὺ λεπρὸς προσελθ̣[ὼν αὐτῷ] 12 \ λέγει· διδάσκαλε Ἰη(σοῦ), λε̣[προῖς συν−] 13 \ οδεύων καὶ συνεσθίω[ν αὐτοῖς] 14 \ ἐν τῷ πανδοχείω̣ ἐλ[έπρησα] 15 \ καὶ αὐτὸς ἐγώ· ἐὰν̣ [ο]ὖν̣ [σὺ θέλῃς,] 16 \ καθ̣αρίζοµαι· ὁ δὴ κ(ύριο)ς [ἔφη αὐτῷ·] 17 \ θ̣έ̣λ̣[ω,] καθαρίσθητι· [καὶ εὐθέως] 18 [α]π̣\έστη ἀπ' αὐτου ἡ λέπ̣[ρα· λέγει] 19 δὲ αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰη(σοῦς)· \ [?] π̣ο̣ρε[υθεὶς σεαυ−] 20 τ̣ὸν ἐπίδειξον \ τοῖ[ς ιερεῦσιν] 21 κ̣αὶ ἀνένεγκον [περὶ τοῦ κα−] \ 22 [θ]αρισµοῦ ὡς π̣ρ̣ο̣[σ]έ̣[ταξεν Μω(ϋσῆς) καὶ] \ 23 [µ]ηκέτι ἁ[µά]ρτανε.... \ |
Fragment 1 Recto \ Köln 255 Recto 1 \ [... to the c]rowd [....] ?[...]2 \ [... and] stones together to 3 \ s[to]n[e h]im and the [rul-] 4 \ ers were casting their han[ds] upon 5 \ him [t]o seize (him) and de[li]v[e]r 6 \ (him) to the crowd; and [they] c[ould] not 7 \ seize him since his hour had not yet 8 \ c[ome] to be deliv[ered] up· 9 \ But the L(or)d himself went out [from their] 10 \ [han]ds and withdrew away from t[hem.] 11 \ And [be]hold, a leper ca[me] toward [him] 12 \ and says, "Teacher Je(sus), while traveling 13 \ [together] with le[pers] and eatin[g] together with [them] 14 \ in the inn, even I myself 15 \ became a l[eper.] If [th]erefore [you will,] 16 \ I will be cleansed." Then the L(or)d [said to him,] 17 \ "I will; be cleansed." [And immediately] 18 the lep[rosy] went \ [a]way from him. And Je(sus) 19 [says] to him, \ [?] G[o,] show [your−] 20 self \ to th[e priests] 21 and offer up [concerning the clea]ns- \ 22 [í]ng as Mo(ses) com[m]a[nded and] \ 23 s[í]n [n]o more [....] \ |
Fragment 2 Recto 1 [................ παραγε-]2 -νόμενοι πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐξ̣[ετασ-] 3 τικῶς ἐπείραζον αὐτὸν λ̣[έγοντες·] 4 Διδάσκαλε Ἰη(σοὖ), οἴδαμεν ὅτι̣ [ἀπὸ θ(εο)ῦ] 5 ἐλήλυθας· ἅ γὰρ ποιεῖς μα̣[ρτυρεῖ] 6 ὑπὲρ το[ὺ]ς προφ(ήτ)ας πάντας· [λέγε οὖν] 7 ἡμῖν· ἐξὸν τοῖς βα(σι)λεῦσ̣[ιν ἀποδοῦ-] 8 ναι τὰ ἀν̣[ή]κοντα τῇ ἀρχῇ; ἀπ̣[οδῶμεν αὐ-] 9 τοις ἢ μ̣[ή;] ὁ δὲ Ἰη(σοῦς) εἰδὼς [τὴν δι-] 10 άνοιαν [αὐτ]ῶν ἐμβρειμ[ησάμενος] 11 εἴπεν α[ὐτοῖς·] τί με καλεῖτ[ε τῷ στό-] 12 ματι ὑμ[ῶν δι]δάσκαλον; μ[ὴ ἀκού-] 13 οντες ὃ̣ [λ]έγω; καλῶς Ἠ[σ(αϊ)ας περὶ ὑ-] 14 μῶν ἐπ[ρο]φ̣(ήτευ)σεν εἰπ̣ώ̣ν· ὁ̣ [λαὸς οὗ-] 15 τος τοῖς [χείλ]εσιν αὐτ̣[ῶν τιμῶσιν] 16 με, ἡ [δὲ καρδί]α αὐτῶ̣[ν πόρρω ἀπέ-] 17 χ̣ει ἀπ' ἐ̣[μοῦ· μ]άτ̣η̣[ν με σέβονται.] 18 ἐ̣ν̣τ̣ά̣λ̣[ματα....] |
Fragment 2 Recto 1 [................ having ar-]2 -rived toward him they st[renuous-] 3 ly tested him, s[aying,] 4 "Teacher Je(sus), we know that you have 5 come [from G(o)d]; for the things you do 6 te[stify] beyond all th[e] proph(et)s. [So tell] 7 us: is it proper to [gi]ve to the k(i)ng[s] 8 the things pert[a]ining to their rule? Shall [we give] 9 (it) to [th]em or n[ot?] But Je(sus) knew [the]ir 10 [m]ind and became enrag[ed] and 11 said [to] t[hem,] "Why do yo[ú] call me [te]acher 12 [with] yo[ur mou]th, but do n[ot hear] 13 what I [s]ay? Well did I[s(ai)ah] p[ro]ph(e)sy 14 [concerning y]ou, saying, '[Th]is [people] 15 [honors] me with the[ir li]ps, 16 [but] thei[r hear]t [h]olds itself far [away] 17 from m[e. V]ain[ly do they worship me.] 18 command[ments....] |
Fragment 2 Verso 1 [...]τῷ̣ τ̣ό̣π̣ῳ̣ [κ]α̣τακλείσαν-2 [...] ὑ̣π̣ο̣τέτακτ̣α̣[ι] ἀδήλως 3 [...] τ̣ὸ βάρος α̣ὐτοῦ ἄστα̣τ̣ο(ν) 4 [...] ἀπ̣ο̣ρηθέντ̣ω̣ν δὲ ἐκεί- 5 [νων ὡς ] π̣ρὸς τὸ ξένον ἐπ̣ε̣ρώτημα 6 [αὐτοῦ π]εριπατῶν ὁ Ἰη(σοῦς) [ε]σ̣τάθη 7 [ἐπὶ τοῦ] χείλους τοῦ Ἰο[ρδ]ά̣νου 8 [ποταμ]οῦ καὶ ἐκτείνα[ς τὴν] χεῖ- 9 [ρα αὐτο]ῦ τὴν δεξιὰν [ἐγέ]μ̣ισεν 10 [... κ]αὶ κατέσπειρ[εν ἐπ]ὶ τὸν 11 [...]ον· καὶ τότε [...] κατε- 12 [...]ενον ὕ̣δωρ. ε[...]ν τ̣ὴν 13 [...] καὶ ἐπ[...]θη ἐνώ- 14 [πιον αὐτῶν ἐ]ξήγα[γ]εν [δὲ] καρπὸ[ν] 15 [...] π̣ολλ[...] εἰς χα- 16 [ρὰν...] τα[...]υτους. |
Fragment 2 Verso 1 [... c]losed up [in] the place2 [...] arranged undernea[th] unclearly 3 [...] its weight unstabl(e) 4 [...] And while tho[se] men were per- 5 plexed, [as it were,] at [his] strange 6 question, Je(sus) walked [o]ver and stoo[d] 7 [upon the] edge of the Jo[rd]an 8 [Riv]er, and he stretch[ed] out [hi]s 9 right ha[nd] and [f]ill[ed] 10 [... a]nd [he] sowed (it) [up]on the 11 [...]?? and then [...] ????- 12 [...]???? water. ?[...]? the 13 [...] and ??[...]?? be[fore] 14 [them, and] (it) brou[g]ht forth frui[t] 15 [...] man[y..] for j[oy] 16 [...] ??[...]????? |
Fragment 3 Recto 1 ἕν ἐσμ̣[εν]2 μ̣ενω π[... λί-] 3 θ̣ους εἰς [... ἀπο-] 4 κτείνω[σιν αὐτον ...] 5 λέγει· ὁ [...] 6 [.]ε̣[....] |
Fragment 3 Recto 1 in ???[??] 2 ???? ?[... st-] 3 ones unto [... they might] 4 ki[ll him ...] 5 says, "The [...] 6 [.]?"[....] |
Fragment 3 Verso 1 [...] παρη2 [...]ς ἐὰν 3 [...] αὐτοῦ 4 [...]ῃ̣μενος 5 [...] εἰδὼς 6 [...]η̣π̣ |
Fragment 3 Verso 1 [...] ????2 [...]? if 3 [...] his 4 [...]?????? 5 [...] knowing 6 [...]?? |
Fragment 4 Recto [Blank.] | Fragment 4 Recto [Blank.] |
Fragment 4 Verso [...]ς[....] | Fragment 4 Verso [...]?[....] |
Notes and Quotes
Context and Textual Parallels
Fragment 1 Verso, translation by Ehrman and Plese: And Jesus said to the lawyers: “Punish every wrongdoer and transgressor, but not me. . . . how he does what he does.” Then he turned to the rulers of the people and spoke this word: “Search the Scriptures; you think that in them you have life. They are the ones that testify concerning me. Do not think that I came to accuse you to my Father. The one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have hoped.” They replied, “We know full well that God spoke to Moses. But we do not know where you have come from.” Jesus answered them, “Now what stands accused is your failure to believe his testimonies. For if you had believed Moses, you would have believed me. For that one wrote to your fathers about me. . . .”
John 5.39 (search the scriptures).
John 5.45-46 (Moses accuses you, if you had believed Moses).
John 9.29 (God spoke to Moses).
Fragment 1 Recto, translation by Ehrman and Plese: . . . to the crowd . . . stones together so that they might stone him. And the rulers sought to lay their hands on him, that they might arrest him and deliver him over to the crowd. They were unable to arrest him because the hour for him to be delivered over had not yet come. But the Lord himself went out through their midst and escaped from them. And behold, a leper approached him and said, “Teacher Jesus, while I was traveling with some lepers and eating with them at the inn, I myself contracted leprosy. If, then, you are willing, I will be made clean.” Then the Lord said to him, “I am willing: be clean.” Immediately the leprosy left him. Jesus said to him, “Go, show yourself to the priests and make an offering for your cleansing as Moses commanded; and sin no more. . . .”
Matthew 8.1-4 = Mark 1.40-45 = Luke 5.12-16 (healing of a leper).
Luke 4.30 (slipping through the midst of a hostile crowd).
Luke 17.11-19 (healing of ten lepers).
John 7.30; 8.20; 10.31, 39 (his hour not yet come).
John 8.11 (sin no more).
Fragment 2 Recto, translation by Ehrman and Plese: . . . [they came] to him and began rigorously testing him, saying, “Teacher Jesus, we know that you have come from God. For the things you do give a testimony that is beyond all the prophets. And so, tell us: is it right to pay the kings the things that relate to their rule? Shall we pay them or not?” But Jesus, knowing their mind, became incensed and said to them, “Why do you call me teacher with your mouth, when you do not listen to what I say? Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far removed from me. In vain do they worship me, commandments. . . .’”
Matthew 22.15-22 = Mark 12.13-17 = Luke 20.19-26 (render unto God).
Isaiah 29.13: וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲדֹנָ֗י יַ֚עַן כִּ֤י נִגַּשׁ֙ הָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֔ה בְּפִ֤יו וּבִשְׂפָתָיו֙ כִּבְּד֔וּנִי וְלִבּ֖וֹ רִחַ֣ק מִמֶּ֑נִּי וַתְּהִ֤י יִרְאָתָם֙ אֹתִ֔י מִצְוַ֥ת אֲנָשִׁ֖ים מְלֻמָּדָֽה׃ / καὶ εἶπεν κύριος ἐγγίζει μοι ὁ λαὸς οὗτος τοῖς χείλεσιν αὐτῶν τιμῶσίν με ἡ δὲ καρδία αὐτῶν πόρρω ἀπέχει ἀπ᾽ ἐμοῦ μάτην δὲ σέβονταί με διδάσκοντες ἐντάλματα ἀνθρώπων καὶ διδασκαλίας. / Then the Lord said, "Because this people draw near with their words And honor Me with their lip service, But they remove their hearts far from Me, And their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote.
Matthew 15.7-9 = Mark 7.6-7 (lips without hearts).
1 Clement 15.2: λέγει γάρ που· Οὗτος ὁ λαὸς τοῖς χείλεσίν με τιμᾷ, ἡ δὲ καρδία αὐτῶν πόρρω ἄπεστιν ἀπ’ ἐμοῦ. / For it says in a certain place, "This people honours Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me."
Thomas 100: They showed Jesus a gold coin and said to him, "The Roman emperor's people demand taxes from us." He said to them, "Give the emperor what belongs to the emperor, give God what belongs to God, and give me what is mine."
Fragment 2 Verso, translation by Ehrman and Plese: . . . enclosed in a secret place . . . placed underneath inwardly . . . its weight beyond measure. . . . And when they were puzzled, as it were, over his strange question, Jesus walked and stood on the bank of the Jordan river; he reached out his right hand, and filled it . . . . And he sowed it on the . . . . . . And then . . . . . . water . . . . . . and . . . before their eyes; and it brought forth fruit . . . many . . . for joy . . . .
Works Consulted and Links
H. Idris Bell & T. C. Skeat, Fragments of an Unknown Gospel.
John Dominic Crossan, The Historical Jesus.
Bart Ehrman and Zlatko Plese, The Apocryphal Gospels: Texts and Translations.
Torat Yeshua, Le Papyrus d'Egerton 2.
Julio López Saco, Fuentes Grecolatinas del Próximo Oriente, Egipto, Grecia y Roma.
FaithFutures, Scriptures and Jesus.
Early Christian Writings: The Egerton Gospel.
TextExcavation: Papyrus Egerton 2.
Biblical Criticism & History Forum: Other Gospel Texts.
Images
Papyrus Egerton 2 Fragments 1-3 Recto: http://www.bl.uk/manuscripts/Viewer.asp ... us_2_f001r.
Papyrus Egerton 2 Fragments 1-3 Verso: http://www.bl.uk/manuscripts/Viewer.asp ... us_2_f001v.
Papyrus Köln 255 Recto: http://www.uni-koeln.de/phil-fak/ifa/NR ... PK608r.jpg.
Papyrus Köln 255 Verso: http://www.uni-koeln.de/phil-fak/ifa/NR ... PK608v.jpg.