Manuscript
Papyrus Bodmer III (the Bohairic John)
Also known as P. Bodmer III · the proto-Bohairic John
The oldest manuscript of the Coptic dialect that became the Egyptian church's liturgical Bible — a complete Gospel of John from the fourth century.
translationscopticgospel-of-johncorrections
Overview
Papyrus Bodmer III (the Bohairic John)(Fourth century AD (c. 300–400))— Egypt; part of the Bodmer papyri
It carries John 1:1–21:25 complete, plus Genesis 1:1–4:2, in an early form of Bohairic, the Coptic dialect of the Nile Delta.
That matters because of what used to be said. For a long time the standard line was that no Bohairic manuscript existed before about the ninth century, which made the version look late and derivative. This manuscript puts Bohairic in the fourth century, and the old line is simply obsolete.
Coptic is the Egyptian language written mostly in Greek letters. The Bible was translated into it dialect by dialect: Sahidic in Upper Egypt first and most fully, Bohairic in the Delta, which later became the standard of the Coptic Church.
Manuscript Details
- Date
- Fourth century AD (c. 300–400)
- Language
- Coptic (proto-Bohairic dialect)
- Script
- Coptic
- Material
- Papyrus
- Current location
- Fondation Martin Bodmer, Cologny (Geneva)
- Discovery location
- Egypt; part of the Bodmer papyri
- Contains books
- John · Genesis 1:1–4:2
- Tags
- translations · coptic · gospel-of-john · corrections
Significance
A complete Gospel in a translation made early enough to witness to the Greek behind it — and a correction to a claim that circulated for decades. Bohairic is not a late medieval version; it is attested in the fourth century.
The passages the manuscripts argue over
The places where the manuscripts differ — the ending of Mark, the woman caught in adultery, the three heavenly witnesses — with the case each way.