In the Beginning Was the Word
The opening of John — “In the beginning was the Word” — from one of the earliest and most complete copies of the Gospel, written around AD 200 and corrected by its own scribe. Reproduced at true scale on genuine Egyptian papyrus, both sides in screw-down acrylic.
(Bodmer Papyri)
(near-complete John)
The book opens:
“In the beginning.”
This leaf carries the Prologue of John — from “In the beginning was the Word” to the Baptist's testimony and the question, “Who are you?”
𝒫66 is one of the earliest near-complete copies of John, and it is unusual because you can watch the scribe work: the manuscript is dotted with his own corrections. Three of them fall on this very leaf — a rare, human glimpse of how the Gospels were copied and checked in the second century.
From the evangelist's century to yours
In the beginning was the Word
The two sides of the leaf, side by side.
John 1:1–14
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
John 1:14
“The Word became flesh, and lived among us.”
Made by hand, made to order.
Papyrus Bodmer II (𝒫66) preserves most of John from around AD 200. Because the scribe corrected his own work as he went, it is one of the best windows we have into how the Gospels were copied and safeguarded in the second century.
5 out of 5
I'm very please with the product. Excellent work! Thank you :-)
When I saw that there was the ability to purchase manuscript replicas, I immediately began to look at the list of what was available! I decided on P66 because of what the Gospel of John means to me. I am very happy with the quality of the manuscript and have it placed on my book shelf next to my Bibles. I think it will be perfect for showing people in Bible discussions what the original texts looked like. Very happy with the manuscript and plan to buy more!
Common questions
Is the display stand included?
The stand is optional. Choose “Add the engraved stand” 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 screw-down 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 worldwide.
“In the beginning was the Word” —
from one of its earliest pages.
Museum-grade, made to order, and framed to be read from both sides.
