Artifacts That Affirm the WordНамуна

The Bodmer Psalms (P.Bodmer XXIV or Rahlfs 2110)

What do papyrus leaves written in Greek and produced in Egypt have to do with the Bible? Well, some of them are leaves from an ancient book, known as a codex, that once contained all the Psalms in numerical order, and which makes up the largest ancient collection of the Psalms found. These are called the Bodmer Psalms, and they contain portions or the entire texts of Psalms 17 through 118 and were made sometime around the third or fourth century AD. Based on the writing and structure, scholars suggest this copy may have been used liturgically, providing a glimpse into Christian worship in Egypt during this time.

This codex contains the Psalms translated into Greek. The Greek translation of the Old Testament is called the Septuagint, originally referring to just the first five books of the Torah; however, Greek translations of the other Old Testament books also eventually fell under this title. The Septuagint is one of the oldest translations of the Scriptures. Why Greek? Greek was the common language spoken by people in the eastern Mediterranean region after Alexander the Great’s conquests, including many Jews and early Christian believers. This meant that Greek-speaking Jews needed a translation they could understand. The Greek translation was an early and widely used translation during the time of Jesus and is quoted by Jesus and his disciples in the Gospels.

The Bodmer Psalms are one of the earliest manuscripts known to contain a substantial portion of the Septuagint, providing a look into early Bible translation and how early Christians used the psalms as part of their worship. In Colossians 3:16, the writer instructs the church to encourage one another and sing psalms and spiritual songs. The Bodmer Psalms perhaps show us believers who were doing just that.

Tomorrow, we’ll look at another example of a codex that contains a passage from the New Testament.