Papyrus Oxyrhynchus 840.

Papyrus fragment of a lost gospel from before century V.

One of our many sources for primitive Christianity.

This vellum fragment dates to century IV or V.

Verso.

1. Προτερον προ {του} αδικησαι παντα σοφι-
2. ζεται. αλλα προσεχετε μη πως και
3. υμεις τα ομοια αυτοις παθητε. ου γαρ
4. εν τοις ζωοις μονοις απολαμβανου-
5. σιν οι κακουργοι των αν{θρωπ}ων, αλλα [κ]αι
6. κολασιν υπομενουσιν και πολ[λ]ην
7. βασανον. και παραλαβων αυτους
8. εισηγαγεν εις αυτο το αγνευτηριον και
9. περιεπατει εν τω ιερω. και προσε[λ]-
10. θων Φαρισαιος τις αρχιερευς Λευ[εις ]
11. το ονομα συνετυχεν αυτοις και ε[ιπεν]
12. τω σω{τη}ρι· Τις επετρεψεν σοι πατ[ειν]
13. τουτο το αγνευτηριον και ιδειν [ταυ-]
14. τα τα αγια σκευη μητε λουσα[μ]εν[ω] μ[η-]
15. τε μην των μαθητων σου τους π[οδας βα-]
16. πτισθεντων; αλλα μεμολυ[μμενος]
17. επατησας τουτο το ιερον τ[οπον ον-]
18. τα καθαρον, ον ουδεις α[λλος ει μη]
19. λουσαμενος και αλλα[ξας τα ενδυ-]
20. ματα πατει, ουδε ο[παν τολμα ταυτα]
21. τα αγια σκευη. και σ[τας ευθεως ο σω{τη}ρ]
22. σ[υν τ]οις μαθηται[ς απεκριθη αυτω·]

1. First, before doing injustice, all things he
2. reasons out. But be on guard lest somehow even
3. you suffer the same things as them. For not
4. only among the living do the wrongdoers
5. of men receive their due, but [a]lso
6. they endure punishment and mu[c]h
7. torment. And taking them along
8. he entered into the place of purification itself and
9. was walking around in the temple. And there ca[m]e
10. a certain Pharisee, a high priest, Le[vi]
11. by name, and he joined them and s[aid]
12. to the sa{vi}or: Who allowed you to tre[ad on]
13. this place of purification and see [the]se
14. holy vessels, neither having bat[h]e[d] n[o]r
15. the f[eet] of your disciples having been
16. [ba]ptized? But after having defi[led it,]
17. you treaded on this holy p[lace, which is]
18. clean, on which no ot[her man unless]
19. he has bathed and chan[ged his clo]thing
20. treads, nor [dares to look at these]
21. holy vessels. And [the sa{vi}or immediately stood]
22. wi[th t]he disciple[s and answered him:]

Recto.

23. Συ ουν ενταυθα ων εν τω ιερω καθα-
24. ρευεις; λεγει αυτω εκεινος· Καθαρευω. ελουσα-
25. μην γαρ εν τη λιμνη του Δ{αυει}δ και δι ετε-
26. ρας κλιμακος κατελθων δι ετερας
27. α[ν]ηλθον, και λευκα ενδυματα ενε-
28. δυσαμην και καθαρα, και τοτε ηλθον
29. και προσεβλεψα τουτοις τοις αγιοις
30. σκευεσιν. ο σω{τη}ρ προς αυτον απο-
31. [κρι]θεις ειπεν· ουαι, τυφλοι μη ορων-
32. τ[ε]ς. συ ελουσω τουτοις τοις χεομενοις
33. υ[δ]ασιν εν οις κυνες και χοιροι βεβλην-
34. [ται] νυκτος και ημερας, και νιψαμε-
35. [ν]ος το εκτος δερμα εσμηξω, οπερ
36. [κα]ι αι πορναι και α[ι] αυλητριδες μυρι-
37. [ζ]ου[σιν κ]αι λουουσιν και σμηχουσι
38. [και κ]αλλωπιζουσι προς επιθυμι-
39. [αν τ]ων αν{θρωπ}ων, ενδοθεν δε εκει-
40. [ναι πεπλ]ηρω{ν}ται σκορπιων και
41. [πασης κα]κιας. εγω δε και οι
42. [μαθηται μου] ους λεγεις μη βεβα-
43. [πτισθαι βεβα]μμεθα εν υδασι ζω-
44. [ης αιωνιου τοι]ς ελθουσιν απο [...]
45. [.... Αλ]λα ουαι [τ]οις [....]

23. You therefore, being here in the temple, are you
24. clean? The former says to him: I am clean. For
25. I bathed in the pool of D{avi}d and by one
26. ladder going down by another
27. I went u[p], and I garbed myself in garments
28. white and clean, and then went
29. and looked upon these holy
30. vessels. The sa{vi}or answ[er]ed to him
31. and said: Woe, blind men who do not
32. s[e]e. You bathed in these flowing
33. w[a]ters in which dogs and swine are
34. c[ast] night and day, and was[h]ed
35. and smeared the outside skin, which
36. [eve]n the prostitutes and th[e] flute-girls
37. per[f]um[e a]nd bathe and wipe
38. [and b]eautify for the desi[re]
39. [of] m{e}n, but within th[ey]
40. [are fi]l{l}ed with scorpions and
41. [all ev]il. But I and [my]
42. [disciples] whom you say have not
43. been bap[tized have been im]mersed in waters of
44. [eternal life whi]ch come from [...]
45. [... Bu]t woe unto [t]he [...]