Papyrus 1 (𝒫1) | Matthew 1:1-20 | Front & Back Acrylic Display | MS X WH

Papyrus 1 (𝒫1) is one of the earliest surviving manuscript witnesses to the Gospel of Matthew, dating to the early third century. Discovered in Oxyrhynchus, Egypt, this papyrus fragment preserves portions of Matthew 1:1–9, 12, and 14–20, including part of the genealogy of Jesus and the opening narrative of His birth.

The manuscript was originally part of a codex—an early book form used by many Christian communities in the first centuries of the Church. Written in Greek in a single column with continuous script, the text reflects common scribal practices of the period, including the use of nomina sacra, the early Christian abbreviations used for sacred names such as Jesus, Christ, Lord, and Spirit.

Papyrus 1 is considered a representative witness to the Alexandrian text tradition, one of the most important textual streams in the history of the New Testament. The fragment shows notable agreement with the readings preserved in Codex Vaticanus, one of the most significant biblical manuscripts from late antiquity. Today the papyrus is preserved at the University of Pennsylvania Museum, where it remains part of the collection of Oxyrhynchus papyri discovered at the end of the nineteenth century.

This museum-quality facsimile is produced through an intensive replication process focused on historical fidelity rather than artistic reinterpretation. Particular attention is given to manuscript scale, Greek letterforms, line spacing, layout, and the visual character of the papyrus so that the reproduction closely reflects the appearance of the original fragment.

The manuscript is presented in a 8x10 front-and-back acrylic display, providing a clean and restrained display that allows the papyrus replica to remain the focal point. An optional display stand can be added to your order.  The stand is NOT included unless you select it.