Manuscript Shop × Sean McDowell · 𝒫46

Raised on the Third Day

Papyrus 46 — 1 Corinthians 14:34–15:15

A special collaboration edition with apologist Sean McDowell — Paul's earliest written testimony that Christ was raised on the third day, from the oldest surviving copy of his letters, reproduced at true scale on genuine Egyptian papyrus, both sides visible in acrylic.

$289USDWith display stand
✓ Made to order  ·  ✓ Ships to the US, UK, Canada & Australia  ·  ✓ 30-day guarantee
Replicated on genuine Egyptian papyrus
Front & back visible in acrylic
A Sean McDowell collaboration edition
Made to order by hand
Read the translation & transcription →
Date
AD 175–225
Scripture
1 Corinthians
14:34–15:15
Origin
Egypt
(Chester Beatty Papyri)
Held at
Chester Beatty /
Univ. of Michigan
Papyrus 46 (𝒫46) Manuscript Replica | MS x Sean McDowell | 1 Corinthians 14:34–15:15 | Front & Back Acrylic Display
The story on the leaf

The earliest words
on the risen Christ.

This leaf carries into 1 Corinthians 15 — Paul's great chapter on the resurrection. Here he sets down what he calls the message of first importance: that Christ died for our sins, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day. On the reverse he names the witnesses, more than five hundred at once, most of whom remain until now — an appeal to living memory, written while those who saw could still be asked.

It survives on 𝒫46, the oldest substantial copy of Paul's epistles in existence — a codex copied in Egypt within roughly a century and a half of Paul's own hand, its readings sitting directly behind the modern critical Greek New Testament that translators still work from today.

This is a special collaboration edition created with Sean McDowell — apologist, author, and speaker whose work centers on the historical evidence for the resurrection. It is a fitting pairing: the very testimony he has spent his career examining, preserved here on the earliest witness we possess to Paul's own words.

“Raised on the third day, according to the Scriptures — the earliest written testimony, on the oldest copy of Paul.”
How old is it, really?

From the apostle's century to yours

c. AD 54
Paul writes 1 Corinthians.
c. AD 175–225
This leaf is copied in Egypt — Paul's earliest written case for the resurrection.
1931
Announced by Frederic Kenyon among the Chester Beatty Papyri.
Today
Split between the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin and the University of Michigan — reproduced for your shelf.
What's written on it

The earliest written testimony to the resurrection

The two sides of the leaf, side by side.

Recto · front

1 Corinthians 15:3–4

“…Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; that he was buried; that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.

Verso · back

1 Corinthians 15:6

“Then he appeared to over five hundred brothers at once, most of whom remain until now.

Text: World English Bible (public domain).  ·  See the full interlinear transcription →
About this replica

Made by hand, made to order.

01
Genuine Egyptian papyrus
Not paper or print stock — genuine papyrus, the same material the original was written on.
02
Front-and-back 8×10 acrylic
Recto and verso both visible at once, the leaf held between two panes so you can read either side.
03
A Sean McDowell collaboration edition
A special edition created with apologist and author Sean McDowell, whose work centers on the historical evidence for the resurrection.
04
The earliest witness, on your wall
A true-scale reproduction of the earliest preserved testimony to the risen Christ.
Papyrus 46 (𝒫46) Manuscript Replica | MS x Sean McDowell | 1 Corinthians 14:34–15:15 | Front & Back Acrylic Display
Why scholars keep coming back to it
The oldest substantial copy of Paul's letters — carrying the earliest written testimony to the resurrection in all Christian literature.

First Corinthians 15 is Paul's extended case for the resurrection of Christ, among the earliest preserved testimony to the risen Lord anywhere. It survives here on 𝒫46, whose text stands behind the critical editions translators still rely on today — NA28 and UBS5. As part of the Chester Beatty Papyri, split between Dublin and the University of Michigan, it is among the most studied manuscripts of the New Testament.

Good to know

Common questions

What makes this the Sean McDowell edition?

This is a special collaboration edition created with apologist and author Sean McDowell, whose work centers on the historical evidence for the resurrection — the very testimony preserved on this leaf.

Is the display stand included?

The stand is optional. Choose “Add display stand” (+$20) to have it shown upright as in the photos, or “Replica only” for the framed piece on its own.

Is it really made on papyrus?

Yes — every replica is reproduced on genuine Egyptian papyrus, then set by hand in a front-and-back acrylic display so both sides are visible.

How long does it take to ship?

Each piece is made to order through a multi-week hand-replication process. Your exact timeline is shown at checkout, and we ship to the US, UK, Canada, and Australia.

Can I see the text translated?

Yes — every leaf has a companion reading page with a full interlinear transcription and translation, letter by letter.

Hold the evidence

Raised on the third day —
on your shelf.

Museum-grade, made to order, and framed to be read from both sides — a Sean McDowell collaboration edition.

From $269 USD
✓ Made to order · ✓ Ships to the US, UK, Canada & Australia · ✓ 30-day guarantee
Raised on the Third Daymade to order
$289