Epistles of St. Paul

These papyri represent two of over two dozen pages from the earliest known manuscript of the Epistles of St. Paul, which has long been a highlight of the University of Michigan Papyrus Collection.  The pages were originally bound together in the form of a papyrus codex and thus represent an early stage in the development of the modern book form.  The wear and tear that is especially prominent on one side of the bottom of each sheet indicates where readers would have leafed through the pages of the manuscript.

An unusual characteristic of page 41 is the placement of Hebrews directly after Romans, an order different from modern editions of the New Testament and occurring only rarely in other manuscripts.  These papyri are valuable to contemporary Biblical scholars who are interested in examining differences between papyrological documents and later medieval editions of the Epistles of St. Paul.

Romans 16:34 - Hebrews 1:7

P.Mich.inv. 6238 [known as P46]

Hebrews 1:7 - 2:3

P.Mich.inv. 6238 [known as P46]