Abstract
This volume has already had an immediate and significant impact in scholarly discussion, due primarily to the papyrus fragment published as P.Oxy. 5575. Sayings of Jesus. The editors describe this as a ‘Recognizable text recalls known sayings in Matt. 6.25a and Luke 12.22. Gos. Thom. 27 and (probably 36); and Matt. 6.26, 28-30 31 (?), 32b-33, and Luke 12.24, 27-8, 29 (?). 30b-31.’ (p. 7). This text is fragmentary, and while the parallels to sayings contained in Matthew and Luke are compelling, the proposed parallels with ‘Gos. Thom. 27 and (probably 36)’, have fewer points of contact and may not be equally compelling. This text might be some kind of ancient homily, or a pastiche of material shared by Matthew and Luke. While this papyrus fragment understandably has attracted most attention, there are several other fascinating texts that are published in this volume that should not be overlooked amid the flurry of excitement around P.Oxy. 5575.
There are four further texts published in the category of ‘Theological Texts.’ These include, P.Oxy. 5573 – third century, two fragments containing Rom 8.17-19, 32-33; 9.18-22, 32-33; 10.1-4; P.Oxy. 5574 – fourth century, two small fragments of a parchment codex, containing Rev 17.1-4; P.Oxy. 5576 – described as a third century Gnostic text; and P.Oxy. 5577 – described as a fourth century ‘Valentinian text ?’ Alongside this P.Oxy. 5578-5585 offer eight new literary texts, and P.Oxy. 5586-5590 are fragments of extant literary texts. Equally fascination are the new documentary papyri, P.Oxy. 5591-5561, which are dated to the period spanning the fifth to seventh centuries. These comprise receipts, orders for various services or commodities, sales and order documents. In particular, these texts illuminate estate life especially of the Apions and the handling of the distribution of wine – definitely an important matter! Together these texts provide remarkable insights into the private and commercial life of Egyptian society in the period.
As always, these papyri provide fascinating glimpses into the life, literary preferences and religious texts of late antique Egyptian society. As such they permit a thicker and richer understanding of the lives of those who formed society in that period.