Papyrus 115

Papyrus 115 (P. Oxy. 4499), designated by 𝔓¹¹⁵ (in the Gregory-Aland numbering of New Testament manuscripts) is a fragmented manuscript of the New Testament written in Greek on papyrus. It consists of 26 fragments of a codex containing parts of the Book of Revelation. ^[1] Using the study of comparative writing styles (palaeography), the manuscript is dated to the third century, c. 225-275 AD.^[2] Scholars Bernard Pyne Grenfell and Arthur Hunt discovered the papyrus in Oxyrhynchus, Egypt.

Papyrus 𝔓¹¹⁵

New Testament manuscript
Red arrow points to χιϛ (616), "number of the beast" in P115
Name	P. Oxy. 4499
Text	Rev 2-3, 5-6, 8-15
Date	c. 275
Found	Oxyrhynchus, Egypt
Now at	Ashmolean Museum
Cite	Juan Chapa, Oxyrynchus Papyri 66:11-39. (#4499)
Size	26 fragments; 15.5 x 23.5 cm; 33-36 lines/page
Type	Alexandrian, close agreement with A & C
Category	I
Note	Gives number of the beast as 616

Grenfell and Hunt

Bernard Grenfell		Arthur Hunt

𝔓¹¹⁵ was not deciphered and published until 2011. It is currently housed at the Ashmolean Museum.^[3]

Description

The manuscript is a codex (precursor to the modern book) although in a very fragmentary condition. In its original form it had 33-36 lines per page of 15.5 cm by 23.5 cm. The surviving text includes Revelation 2:1-3, 13-15, 27-29; 3:10-12; 5:8-9; 6:5-6; 8:3-8, 11-13; 9:1-5, 7-16, 18-21; 10:1-4, 8-11; 11:1-5, 8-15, 18-19; 12:1-5, 8-10, 12-17; 13:1-3, 6-16, 18; 14:1-3, 5-7, 10-11, 14-15, 18-20; 15:1, 4-7.^[1]

The manuscript has evidence of the following nomina sacra (names/titles considered sacred in Christianity): ΙΗΛ (Israel), ΑΥΤΟΥ (his), ΠΡΣ (Father), ΘΩ/ΘΝ/ΘΥ (God), ΑΝΩΝ/ΑΝΟΥ (man), ΠΝΑ (Spirit), ΟΥΝΟΥ/ΟΥΝΟΝ/ΟΥΝΩ (heaven), ΚΥ (Master/Lord).

The manuscript uses the Greek numeral system, with no number extant as being written out in full.^[1]

The manuscript is considered to be a witness to the Alexandrian text-type, following the text of Codex Alexandrinus (A) and Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus (C).^[4]

An interesting element of 𝔓¹¹⁵ is that it gives the number of the beast in Revelation 13:18 as 616 (chi, iota, stigma (ΧΙϚ)), rather than the majority reading of 666 (chi, xi, stigma (ΧΞϚ)), as does Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus.

According to the transcription of the INTF, a conjectured reading of the manuscript, due to the space left, is [χξϛ] η χιϛ (666 or 616), therefore not giving a definite number to the beast.^[5]

Some notable readings[6]

Revelation 8:12

και το τριτον της σεληνης (and a third of the moon):

omit. : 𝔓¹¹⁵

incl. : א‎ A

Revelation 9:11

ο απολλυων (the Destroyer) : 𝔓¹¹⁵ 1740

απολλυων (Apollyon) : 𝔓⁴⁷ א‎ pc gig 2344

Revelation 9:13

δ/τεσσάρων (fourth)

incl. : 𝔓¹¹⁵ Majority of manuscripts vg^cl sy^{p, h}

omit. : 𝔓⁴⁷ א‎ A 0207 1611 2053 2344 pc lat sy^h co

Revelation 11:15

λεγουσαι (they said) : 𝔓¹¹⁵ 𝔓⁴⁷ א‎ C 051 1006 1611 1841 1854 2329 2344 ${\displaystyle {\mathfrak {M}}}$^A

λεγοντες (saying) : A 2053 2351 ${\displaystyle {\mathfrak {M}}}$^K.

Revelation 13:8

το ονομα (name) : 𝔓¹¹⁵ ${\displaystyle {\mathfrak {M}}}$ co Bea.

τα ονοματα αυτων (their names) : 𝔓⁴⁷ א‎ P 051 1006 1841 2329 al lat

το ονομα αυτου (his name) : C 1854 2053 pc Ir^lat Prim.

Revelation 13:13

εκ του ουρανου (out of heaven)

omit. : 𝔓¹¹⁵ 175.

incl. : 𝔓⁴⁷ א‎ A Majority of manuscripts

Revelation 14:6

κατοικουντας (who inhabit) : 𝔓¹¹⁵ A 2049 69.

καθημενους (dwelling) : 𝔓⁴⁷ א‎ C P 1611 1854 2053 2329 pc sy^{p, h} Or

Revelation 14:20

βχ (2600) : 𝔓¹¹⁵.

αχ / χιλιων εξακοσιων (1600) : 𝔓⁴⁷ א‎^c2 A 42 69 82 93 177 325 456 498 627 699 1849 2138 2329 Majority of manuscripts

See also

• List of New Testament papyri
• Oxyrhynchus papyri
• Stigma (letter)

References

1. Comfort, Philip Wesley; David P. Barrett (2001). The Text of the Earliest New Testament Greek Manuscripts. Wheaton, Illinois: Tyndale House Publishers. pp. 664–677. ISBN 978-0-8423-5265-9.
2. Juan Chapa, Oxy. Pap., 66:11-39, no. 4499
3. "Liste Handschriften". Münster: Institute for New Testament Textual Research. Retrieved 27 August 2011.
4. Comfort, Philip Wesley (2005). Encountering the Manuscripts. An Introduction to New Testament Paleography & Textual Criticism. Nashville, Tennessee: Broadman & Holman. p. 77.
5. "Institute for New Testament Textual Research Papyrus 115 Transcription". Retrieved 26 September 2022.
6. Taken from NA27 Edition Apparatus, and http://ntvmr.uni-muenster.de/nt-transcripts Archived 13 June 2015 at the Wayback Machine

Further reading

• David C. Parker, A new Oxyrhynchus Papyrus of Revelation: P115 (P. Oxy. 4499), in: Manuscripts, Texts, Theology: Collected Papers, 1977-2007, Walter de Gruyter, Berlin, 2009, pp. 73–92.

External links

• Oxford University 'P. Oxy. LXVI 4499'
• Images of the fragments of P. Oxy. LXVI 4499