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CHESTER BEATTY PAPYRI

Greek biblical manuscripts acquired by Sir Alfred Chester Beatty in 1931 and housed in the Chester Beatty Library and Gallery of Oriental Art in Dublin, Ireland. They are the most important collection of manuscripts on papyrus because of their number (11) and their early date (2nd-4th centuries).

The papyri are most valuable for their contribution to the textual criticism of the Greek Bible. Papyrus X (𝔓967) is one of only three major witnesses to the Old Greek of Daniel. The collection also includes witnesses to Genesis, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Esther, and Revelation.

In addition to textual criticism, the papyri are also valuable because they were in the form of the codex, which shows that the codex came into use very early; they employ contractions for names such as God, Jesus, Christ, and Spirit; and they preserve alternative orders of biblical books or chapters within books. In papyrus X, Dan. 7–8 follows ch. 4; in papyrus I, the order of the Gospels is Matthew, John, Luke, and Mark; and in papyrus II, the order of NT books is Romans, Hebrews, Corinthians, Ephesians, Galatians, Philippians, Colossians, and 1 Thessalonians.

Bibliography. F. G. Kenyon, The Chester Beatty Biblical Papyri, 7 vols. (London, 1933-1958).

Tim McLay

Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

CHESTER BEATTY PAPYRI

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)