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More About the Bible

The Bible and Archaeology

Why is the fragment important?

The fragment is important because it dates from somewhere between 100 C.E. and 150 C.E., making it the oldest known transcript of a canonical New Testament text. Of added interest is the fact that the fragment has writing on both sides. On one side, the fragment bears a portion of John 18:31–33. The other side bears a portion of John 18:37–38. The text is written in Greek.