(Larry Hurtado): P.Bodmer 12, previously thought to be a portion of a Paschal Homily by Melito of Sardis, and part of the multi-text Bodmer “miscellaneous codex”, is the subject of a recent article by Thomas Scott Caulley [“A Fragment of an Early Christian Hymn (Papyrus Bodmer 12): Some Observations,” Zeitschrift fur Antikes Christentum / Journal of Early Christianity 13 (2009) 403-14]. I judge Caulley successfully shows that this text is a portion of an early Christian hymn that draws upon imagery of the eschatological banquet, and is likely from Syrian Christian provenance. The standard lists of early Christian texts will now require alteration in their attribution of this text. Caulley’s article includes a transcription and translations in English, French and German.
AnneMarie Luijendijk (Princeton University) has published a study of a fragment of Greek Isaiah long held in the Princeton University Library, but, curiously, not heretofore given the attention it deserves. She shows that the fragment (Princ.inv. Garrett Dep. 1924, Bell II 2G) is part of the same codex page as a published papyrus held by the Library of Congress (Lib.Cong. 4082B; Rahlfs-Fraenkel 844). So, we now have Isaiah 23:4-15 in the combination of these fragments. The Greek translation shows notable differences from the Massoretic (Hebrew) text. The presence of the nomina sacra form of Kyrios and the codex format combine to suggest strongly that the manuscript is a Christian copy of Isaiah. Luijendijk proposes a palaeographical date “in the third or fourth century” CE. Her article includes photos, transcriptions, and detailed notes. AnneMarie Luijendijk, “A New Fragment of LXX Isaiah 23 (Rahlfs-Fraenkel 844),” Bulletin of the American Society of Papyrologists 47 (2010): 33-43.
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