Editing Rylands Library Papyrus P52 (section)

==Greek text==
[[File:JRL19071950.jpg|thumb|Rylands Greek P 457 Recto]]
[[File:JRL19071951.jpg|thumb|Rylands Greek P 457 Verso]]
The papyrus is written on both sides and hence must be from a [[codex]], a sewn and folded [[book]], not a [[scroll]], roll or isolated sheet; and the surviving portion also includes part of the top and inner margins of the page. The recto consequently preserves the top left corner of a right-hand page; while the verso preserves the top right corner of a left-hand page. The characters in bold style are the ones that can be seen in Papyrus 𝔓{{sup|52}}. The recto text comes from the [[Gospel of John]] 18:31–33:

{{poemquote|text={{lang|grc|
'''ΟΙ ΙΟΥΔΑΙ'''ΟΙ '''ΗΜΕ'''ΙΝ ΟΥΚ ΕΞΕΣΤΙΝ ΑΠΟΚΤΕΙΝΑΙ
'''ΟΥΔΕΝΑ ΙΝΑ Ο Λ'''ΟΓΟΣ ΤΟΥ ΙΗΣΟΥ ΠΛΗΡΩΘΗ ΟΝ ΕΙ-
'''ΠΕΝ ΣΗΜΑΙΝΩ'''Ν ΠΟΙΩ ΘΑΝΑΤΩ ΗΜΕΛΛΕΝ ΑΠΟ-
'''ΘΝΗΣΚΕΙΝ ΙΣ'''ΗΛΘΕΝ ΟΥΝ ΠΑΛΙΝ ΕΙΣ ΤΟ ΠΡΑΙΤΩ-
'''ΡΙΟΝ Ο Π'''ΙΛΑΤΟΣ ΚΑΙ ΕΦΩΝΗΣΕΝ ΤΟΝ ΙΗΣΟΥΝ
'''ΚΑΙ ΕΙΠ'''ΕΝ ΑΥΤΩ ΣΥ ΕΙ O ΒΑΣΙΛΕΥΣ ΤΩΝ ΙΟΥ-
Δ'''ΑΙΩ'''N}}
}}

Eleven lines of the text are lost, containing 18:34–36. The text translates as:

{{poemquote|text=
...
'''the Jews, "For us''' it is not permitted to kill
'''anyone," so that the w'''ord of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he sp-
'''oke signifyin'''g what kind of death he was going to
'''die. En'''tered therefore again into the Praeto-
'''rium P'''ilate and summoned Jesus
'''and sai'''d to him, "Thou art king of the
J'''ew'''s?"}}

The verso text comes from the Gospel of John, 18:37–38:

{{poemquote|text={{lang|grc|
ΒΑΣΙΛΕΥΣ ΕΙΜΙ ΕΓΩ ΕΙΣ TO'''ΥΤΟ Γ'''Ε'''ΓΕΝΝΗΜΑΙ'''
ΚΑΙ (ΕΙΣ ΤΟΥΤΟ) ΕΛΗΛΥΘΑ ΕΙΣ ΤΟΝ ΚΟ'''ΣΜΟΝ ΙΝΑ ΜΑΡΤΥ-'''
ΡΗΣΩ ΤΗ ΑΛΗΘΕΙΑ ΠΑΣ Ο ΩΝ '''ΕΚ ΤΗΣ ΑΛΗΘΕ'''I-
ΑΣ ΑΚΟΥΕΙ ΜΟΥ ΤΗΣ ΦΩΝΗΣ '''ΛΕΓΕΙ ΑΥΤΩ'''
Ο ΠΙΛΑΤΟΣ ΤΙ ΕΣΤΙΝ ΑΛΗΘΕΙΑ Κ'''ΑΙ ΤΟΥΤΟ'''
ΕΙΠΩΝ ΠΑΛΙΝ ΕΞΗΛΘΕΝ ΠΡΟΣ '''ΤΟΥΣ Ι'''ΟΥ-
ΔΑΙΟΥΣ ΚΑΙ ΛΕΓΕΙ ΑΥΤΟΙΣ ΕΓΩ ΟΥΔ'''ΕΜΙ'''ΑΝ
ΕΥΡΙΣΚΩ ΕΝ ΑΥΤΩ ΑΙΤΙΑΝ}}}}

The text translates as:

{{poemquote|text=
...
a King I am. For '''this I have been born'''
and (for this) I have come into the '''world so that I would test'''
ify to the truth. Everyone who is '''of the truth'''
hears of me my voice." '''Said to him'''
Pilate, "What is truth?" '''and this'''
having said, again he went out unto '''the Jews'''
and said to them, "I find '''not one'''
fault in him."}}

There appears insufficient room for the repeated phrase ({{lang|grc|ΕΙΣ ΤΟΥΤΟ}}) in the second line of the verso, and it is suggested that these words were inadvertently dropped through [[haplography]].<ref name="Roberts(1935), p. 29">Roberts(1935), p. 29.</ref>

The writing is generously scaled – letter forms vary between {{cvt|0.3|-|0.4|cm}} in height, lines are spaced approximately {{cvt|0.5|cm}} apart, and there is a margin of {{cvt|2|cm}} at the top.<ref name="Hurtado, p. 3">Hurtado, p. 3.</ref> It can be determined that there were 18 lines to a page. C. H. Roberts commented: "... to judge from the spacing and the size of the text, it is unlikely that the format was affected by considerations of economy".<ref name="Roberts(1935), p. 24">Roberts(1935), p. 24.</ref> There are no apparent punctuation marks or breathings shown in the fragment;<ref name="Roberts(1935), p. 17">Roberts(1935), p. 17.</ref> but the [[Diaeresis (diacritic)|diaeresis]] is applied to an initial iota at both the second line of the recto and the second line of the verso; and possibly too on the first line of the recto.<ref name="Hurtado, p. 3">Hurtado, p. 3.</ref> Taken together with the over-scaled writing, this suggests that the manuscript may have been intended for congregational reading.<ref>Hurtado, L. W. ''Early Christian Manuscripts as Artifacts'' in ''Jewish and Christian Scriptures as Artifact and Canon'' ed. C.A. Evans and A.D. Zecharias,  New York: T & T Clark, 2009, p. 78</ref> If the original codex did indeed contain the entire text of the canonical Gospel of John, it would have constituted a single [[Paper quire|quire]] book of around 130 pages (i.e. 33 large folded papyrus sheets written on both sides); measuring approximately {{cvt|21|x|20|cm}} when closed.<ref name="Roberts(1935), p. 21">Roberts(1935), p. 21.</ref> Roberts noted a glued vertical join in the papyrus slightly inside the inner margin and visible on the verso,<ref name="Roberts(1935), p. 11">Roberts(1935), p. 11.</ref> indicating that the large sheets used for the codex were likely to have been specially prepared for the purpose, each having been constructed from two standard sized sheets measuring approximately {{cvt|21|x|16|cm}}, with a central narrower sheet approximately {{cvt|21|x|8|cm}} constituting the spine. Roberts describes the handwriting as "heavy, rounded and rather elaborate",<ref name="Roberts(1935), p. 13">Roberts(1935), p. 13.</ref> but nevertheless not the work of "a practised scribe" (i.e. not a professional bookhand). Roberts notes comments that had recently been made by the editors of the [[Egerton Gospel]] (P.Egerton 2); and says similarly it could be said of 𝔓{{sup|52}} that it "has a somewhat informal air about it and with no claims to fine writing is yet a careful piece of work".<ref name="Roberts(1935), p. 17">Roberts(1935), p. 17.</ref>

In total, 114 legible letters are visible on the two sides of the fragment, representing 18 out of the 24 letters of the [[Greek alphabet]];<ref name="Nongbri, p. 28">Nongbri, p. 28.</ref> beta, zeta, xi, phi, chi, and psi being missing. Roberts noted that the writing is painstaking and rather laboured, with instances of individual letters formed using several strokes "with a rather clumsy effect" (e.g. the [[lunate sigma]] ({{lang|grc|'Ϲ'}}) at line three of the recto, and the eta ({{lang|grc|'H'}}) immediately following it).<ref name="Roberts(1935), p. 13">Roberts(1935), p. 13.</ref> Several letters are inclined to stray away from the notional upper and lower writing lines.<ref name="Hurtado, p. 11">Hurtado, p. 11.</ref> Another peculiarity is that there are two distinct forms of the letter alpha ({{lang|grc|'Α'}});<ref name="Roberts(1935), p. 15">Roberts(1935), p. 15.</ref> most are formed from a separate loop and diagonal stroke, where the top of the stroke has a distinctive decorative arch while the bottom is hooked; but on the fourth line of the verso there is a smaller alpha formed by a single spiralling loop with no arch or hooks. Also present in two forms is the letter upsilon ({{lang|grc|'Υ'}}); the more common form is constructed from two strokes, each stroke terminating in a decorative hook or finial (see the second line of the recto); but on the fourth line of the verso is an upsilon formed from a single looped stroke with no decoration.<ref name="Nongbri, p. 28">Nongbri, p. 28.</ref> These observations support Roberts's supposition that the scribe was an educated person writing carefully in imitation of a calligraphic hand, rather than a professional scribe writing to order; such that, on occasion, the writer inadvertently reverted to the undecorated (and often smaller) letter forms of his everyday hand.

Roberts noted that in addition to alpha and upsilon, other letters also tend to be given decorative hooks, especially iota ({{lang|grc|'Ι'}}) and omega ({{lang|grc|'Ω'}}) (both seen in the seventh line of the recto).<ref name="Roberts(1935), p. 13">Roberts(1935), p. 13.</ref>  He also drew attention to the forms of epsilon ({{lang|grc|'Ε'}}) (with an extended cross-stroke a little above the centre-line, as in the fourth line of the verso), delta ({{lang|grc|'Δ'}}) (with a decorative arch, as in the first and second lines of the recto) and mu ({{lang|grc|'Μ'}}) (with a central stroke dipping down to the baseline, as in the third line of the recto).<ref name="Roberts(1935), p. 13">Roberts(1935), p. 13.</ref>  Nongbri confirms Roberts observations, and also notes distinctive forms of rho ({{lang|grc|'Ρ'}}) (with a small head and an undecorated downstroke extending well below the lower line, as in the second line of the verso),<ref name="Nongbri, p. 28">Nongbri, p. 28.</ref> pi ({{lang|grc|'Π'}}) (with an extended horizontal stroke, as in the third line of the recto)<ref name="Nongbri, p. 33">Nongbri, p. 33.</ref> and kappa ({{lang|grc|'Κ'}}) (formed like the looped upsilon with an additional downwards stroke, as in the fourth line of the recto).<ref name="Nongbri, p. 28">Nongbri, p. 28.</ref> Aside from their sometimes clumsy construction, the sigma and eta are also distinctive in form; the sigma facing fully to the right, and the eta having a distinctive high cross stroke.

In 1977, Roberts surveyed 14 papyri believed to be of Christian origin – 12 codices and two scrolls – comprising all the Christian manuscripts then commonly assessed as likely having a 2nd century date, including 𝔓{{sup|52}}. He considered that only three of these texts had a calligraphic bookhand, such as was then standard in formal manuscripts of Greek literature, or in most Graeco-Jewish biblical scrolls. Of the other eleven, including 𝔓{{sup|52}}, he states that their scribes were:

{{blockquote|...not trained in calligraphy and so not accustomed to writing books, though they were familiar with them; they employ what is basically a documentary hand but at the same time they are aware that it is a book and not a document on which they are engaged. They are not personal or private hands; and in most a degree of regularity and of clarity is aimed at and achieved.  Such hands may be described as "reformed documentary". (One advantage for the paleographer in such hands is that with their close links to the documents they are somewhat less difficult to date than purely calligraphic hands).<ref>Roberts, C. H. ''Manuscript, Society and Belief in Early Christian Egypt'', London: OUP for the British Academy, 1979 (based on the 1977 series of Schweich Lectures), pp. 12–14</ref>}}

It may be added that the codex of 𝔓{{sup|52}}, with its good quality papyrus, wide margins, large clear even upright letters, short lines in continuous script, decorative hooks and finials, and bilinear writing,<ref name="Nongbri, p. 28">Nongbri, p. 28.</ref> would have presented an overall appearance not far from that of professionally written Christian codices such as [[Papyrus 64|𝔓{{sup|64}}]] or [[Papyrus 77|𝔓{{sup|77}}]], even though its actual letter forms are not as fine, and are closer to documentary exemplars.