Subject: RE: Life of papyrus MSS

From: "Mark E. Burrill" <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 10 Jan 1997 20:26:24 -0800

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On a related topic and purely as a matter of curiosity on my part, could anyone happen to tell me what the oldest mss are that are believed to have existed throughout their lives in the regions west of Palestine and North of Egypt?

As a hypothetical example, P52 is believed to be the oldest extant ms. Its survival has been credited to the arid climate of Egypt where it was found. Tradition suggests it (the autograph) was composed in Ephesus. Given favorable political conditions, what would be the likelihood that a ms of similar age would have survived near the supposed area of composition or anywhere in the Asia Minor or Southern Europe area? If it were sealed in a jar and put in a cave like the DSS, would it have survived?

Thanks,

Mark