Papyrus 2 (𝔓2) — John 12 (The Triumphal Entry)
The Triumphal Entry
The short answerWhat is Papyrus 2?
Papyrus 2 is a single leaf that carries two languages at once. One side preserves the Greek of John 12:12–15 — the crowd meeting Jesus with palm branches at the Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem — while the other side carries Luke 7:22–26 and 7:50 in Coptic (the Egyptian language of the early Church). It is a small window onto how the Scriptures were read and translated, side by side, in the churches of late-antique Egypt.
The manuscriptBoth sides of the leaf
Letter-by-letter transcription & word-by-word translation
We're still researching this leaf. The full letter-by-letter Greek transcription and the word-for-word English translation — the same treatment we've given our other manuscripts — are in preparation for Papyrus 2.
Check back soon, or explore our other translations in the meantime.
The sceneJohn 12:12–15 — the Triumphal Entry
On the next day a great multitude had come to the feast. When they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, they took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel!” And Jesus, having found a young donkey, sat on it. As it is written, “Don’t be afraid, daughter of Zion. Behold, your King comes, sitting on a donkey’s colt.”
The manuscriptAt a glance
| Contents | John 12:12–15 (Greek) · Luke 7:22–26, 50 (Coptic / Sahidic) |
|---|---|
| Language | Bilingual — Greek and Coptic |
| Date | c. 6th century CE (scholars range 5th–7th c.) |
| Held at | Museo Egizio / Museo Archeologico Nazionale, Florence |
| Inventory no. | Inv. 7134 |
| Gregory–Aland no. | 𝔓2 |
| Format | Papyrus leaf, written on both sides |
| Text type | Mixed · Aland Category III |
Why it mattersTwo languages, one leaf
Most early New Testament papyri are Greek only. Papyrus 2 is unusual: it sets Greek and Coptic on the same leaf, a physical trace of the moment when the Greek Scriptures were being carried into the everyday language of Egyptian Christians. Its value is less as a textual authority — it is a later, mixed witness — and more as evidence of a living, bilingual reading culture in the Byzantine Nile valley.
Own this leaf
Manuscript Shop produces a museum-grade facsimile of Papyrus 2 on real Egyptian papyrus, reproducing both sides of the leaf in a floating acrylic frame — the Greek of the Triumphal Entry on one face, the Coptic of Luke on the other.
ReferencesSources
- Manuscript: Gregory–Aland 𝔓2, Museo Egizio / Museo Archeologico Nazionale, Florence, inv. 7134.
- Contents: John 12:12–15 (Greek); Luke 7:22–26, 50 (Sahidic Coptic).
- Smooth translation of John 12:12–15: World English Bible (public domain), ebible.org.