Papyrus 121

Papyrus 121, also known as P. Oxy. LXXI 4805, is an early copy of the New Testament in Greek. It is a papyrus manuscript of the Gospel of John in a fragmentary condition. It is designated by the siglum 𝔓¹²¹ in the Gregory-Aland numbering of New Testament manuscripts. The surviving texts of John are only fragments of verses 19:17-18,25-26. Using the study of comparative writing styles (palaeography), it has been assigned to the 3rd century by the INTF.^[1]

Papyrus 121

New Testament manuscript
Name	P. Oxy. 4805
Sign	𝔓121
Text	Gospel of John 19:17-18,25-26
Date	3rd century
Script	Greek
Found	Oxyrhynchus, Egypt
Now at	Sackler Library
Cite	R. Hatzilambrou, P. J. Parsons, J. Chapa, OP LXXI (London: 2007), pp. 9-11.
Size	[4.5] x [3.3] cm (28 x 12)
Type	unknown
Category	none
Note	nomina sacra, diaeresis

The manuscript currently is housed at the Papyrology Rooms of the Sackler Library at Oxford with the shelf number P. Oxy. 4805.^[1]

Description

The manuscript is written irregular, spaces between letters are not equal. Though the text is very small, it contains two of the nomina sacra: ΙΣ and ΜΗΙ (dative case from ΜΗΡ). Above letter iota two dots (diaeresis). On page recto, in lower line, from the left a scribe did not use letter iota in word και (and), though inserted diaeresis above letter alpha. Possibly it is a scribal error.

Text

Papyrus 121 V

The Greek text of the codex is too brief to determine its textual character. It can not be placed to any of Categories of New Testament manuscripts. It contains only 20 letters on recto, and 18 letters on verso.

Transcription of Papyrus Manuscript

Page recto of 𝔓121	Page verso of 𝔓121
νιου Τοπον ο λεγεται Εβραιστι Γολγοθα οπου αυτον εσταρωσαν και μετ' αυτου αλλους δυο εντευθεν κα εντευθεν μεσον	η ΙΣ ουν ιδων την μητερα και τον μαθητην παρεστωτα ον ηγαπα λεγει τη ΜΗΙ Γυναι ιδε ο υιος
...place, which is called in Hebrew Golgotha. There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between	When Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing near, he said to his mother, "Woman, behold, your son!"

Missing letters are in red; extant letters in black.

See also

• Bible portal

• List of New Testament papyri
• Oxyrhynchus Papyri