The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-02-12
OLDEST OF SACRED WRITINGS
Papyri Containing Part of St. Mat
 thew and Others .

fapyrl containing Part of St. Mat
 thew and Others.
 Several rolls of old parchment. musty and crumbled. in the Museums of the University of Pennsylvania, constitute the mos tinteersting and valuable exhibit to be found in any papyri collection in existence. These apparently insignificant rolls include, as nearly as can be ascer- tained. the oldest manuscripts of the new scriptures now in existence, containing a part of the first chapter of St. Matthew, which dates back to the second century. The manuscript was found several years ago at Oxyrhinchus. 40 miles south of Cairo, near the famous "Logia' or Say ings of Jesus," and it's date is placed by some experts at 150 A. D. The papyrus belongs to the same class as
 the famous Sinaitic and Vatican codices, and corroborates the texts of our accept ed versions.
 The papyrus collection in the Museum consists of twenty-nine fragments. Be- l sides the ones containing parts of the Gospel of St. Matthew there Is one frag- ment which contains portion of the fourth chapter of Thucydides, which, from scientific standpoint, is of even greater value than the St. Matthew frag- ment. This fragment forms a striking exception to the general rule that papyrus texts, after the Ptolemaic period. are unlmportant for purposes of textural criticism. and has given rise to many serious discussions among scholars There are three columns of fifty to fifty-two lines each preserved in this fragment. The hand is a small. rather irregular, uncial Of any early type. It bears many other marks of antiquity and may be assigned to the first century after Christ. The text Is especially interesting owing to the presence of double readings, evil dently by the original scribe. some of which may be regarded as variae lec- tiones found by the careful clerk in diff ferent copies collected by him. Others are probably corrections in a later hand.
 Another interesting fragment gives a proclamation of the reign of Alex Severus (223 A. D. On the verso is list of Ro- man Emperors from Augustus to Decius, In the first or second year of whose reign the list appears to have been made. It also gives the years of each reign, omit ting, however. coeval reigns the years of which are given to the Emperor who lived longest.
 A fragment of Euclid giving the enun- clation and diagrams of Ills and the last words of the preceding proposition is also of great interest. whilst a part of MS. ot Demosthenes Contra and Timo- cratcm GAS. 146. 15o) dating of the third century. written in small uncial and in which corrections In second hand ap- pear, is also worthy of note although l 1t presents but one variant from known texts.
 The balance of the fragments are off, cial or private documents bearing upon
 the daily life of the people and bring it | before ones mind so vividy that al- l though they may appear of less senti- | mental or literary value than the above.
 they are yet intensely interesting and | To sf | Among these is an order for the trans | fer of prisoner from one set of vil- l lage officers to another. which reads as 1 follows:
 From the 'beneflciarius' on duty to the comarchs of the village of Teruthis. | Deliver up to my officer which I have l sent Pachoumis. son of Pachoumis. whom | you have arrested today and brought to anything to say in his favor come with him and tell me. See that you do not detain the officer
 Another Is an order for payment of
 wheat on the overseers of the granaries | in the village of Petne.
 An account of a cook for meat con- sumed during little over one month. An invitation to a wedding feast in the third century A. D
 An acknowledgment to one Flavicus Apion or his heirs for the loan of ono solidus to one Ptollion.
 An oath addressed to the scribe of the nome by Epimachus, living in Probthis. Is also of interest.
 T swear by Nero Claudius Caesar Au- gustus Germanicus Imperator that l have levied no contributions for any purpose whatsoever in the said village. and that henceforth I shall not become headman of a village: otherwise let me be liable to the consequences of my oath. Date
 There Is a registration of cattle, with the agreement to pay tax on it.
 An interesting letter reads as follows:
 II f,tAv A NDu also called Macer (?)-Greeting: If you can, please worry Diocorus and exact from him his bond. If he gives you the money give him the receipt. and if you find a safe person give him the money to bring to me. My salutations to all your household. Good-by'
 With this is attached copy of Dioco- russ note. agreeing in case -Qf non-pay- ment on the S0th of the month Caesareus of the current third year of Nero, of fifty-two silver drachmae of the imperial coinage received through the bank of Archibius. son of Archtbtus to pay one overtime. For which you are to have the right to levy upon me and upon all my propertyS Sas if in accordance with le- gal decision. This note of hand is valid wherever produced and whosoever pro- duces it.
 Another note canceled with the ack- nowlodgment and repayment and docket ct the bank of Pamphilon dates from the nrSt century, A. U. O.
 There Is also a list of private embank- ments. contributed to which were assess ed In proportion to the value and extent of their holdings.
 4 curious document relates to the reg istration of sale of onehalf share in d slave Dioscorus also called Dionysius, 30 years of age. It dates from the end of the first century.
 In another of the same date, two citi- zcns one of whom was called Didymus. requests the agoranomes to free female slave.
 Another fragment of the same date re- lated to a cession of land, and still an- other to the tax to be paid on mort gage of forty aroutae of land on the dis trict of Olymprodorus and oh other land in the district of Heracles and Gallistra- tus. casual examination of these ancient documents now deposited in the Museum of the University of Pennsylvania. after having been buried ter almost twenty | centuries, demonstrates that the daily routine of business and the administrat ton of domestic affairs diff. red not so much | from the modern and what we are often pleased to term more advanced methods.