An alternative theory of the history of christianity
Article 71: The Rylands papyrus exception & others
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PreConstantinian papyrii fragments and manuscripts

Beatty papyri: The major papyri in this collection are p45, p46, p47. The first p45 is dated to 150-250 CE; and contains some (or all) of Mt 20, 21, 25, 26; Mr 4-9, 11-12; Lk 6-7, 9-14; Jn 10-11; Acts 4-17. The second p46 is dated to 90-175 CE; contains some (or all) of Rom 5-6, 8-16; all of I & II Cor, Gal, Eph., Philp., Col, I Thess 1,2,5; all of Hebrews. The last, p47, dated to the third century, contains Revelation 9:10-17.2

The Bodmer papyri: The major papyri in this collection are p66, p72, p75.
p66: 150-200 CE, contains almost all of the Gospel of John
p72: 200's, containing all of I & II Peter, Jude
p75: 175-200 CE, contains most of Luke 3-18, 22-24; John 1-15.

The Rylands papyrus: Asserted to be the earliest surviving new testament fragment of a papyrus codex containing John 18:31-33, and 37. It has been dated from 130 CE.

Other papyrii: Papyrus Oxyrhynchus 658 dated to 250 CE, P. Oxy. 1464 dated to 250 CE, P. Oxy. 2990 dated to the third century, and a whole swag of others.

The dating process used to assess the estimated date of all the above manuscripts and fragments is called paleography, and resembles handwriting analysis.

While it may be reliable, paleographic assessment is only an estimate. For example, it will not usually detect forged handwriting. For example, if a manuscript were to be written in 325 CE, but in the more ancient Hadrian script, the paleographic assessment would tend to place the MS in the time of Hadrian.

Carbon Dating the NT

Our response to this mass of paleographic dating before the time of Constantine is to urge a carbon dating process to be undertaken on any of these purported NT fragments or manuscripts. This will either lend support to the existing paleopgraphic dating, or it will not.

To my knowledge (2006) there has been no results published in respect of any carbon dating test of a NT manuscript or fragment.

This provides us with the opportunity of making a prediction, namely that the carbon dating of any NT manuscript or fragment will yield a date no earlier than Constantine.





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