Location: Luxor, Egypt
Biblical archaeologists have discovered what may be the oldest surviving fragment of the New Testament, dated to the mid-2nd century, during a dig near Luxor. Written in Greek on papyrus, the fragment contains verses from the Gospel of Mark, shedding new light on early Christian textual history.
The discovery, housed temporarily at the Coptic Museum in Cairo, includes notes in the margins that scholars believe were made by early Christian scribes or church leaders. “This fragment proves the early spread and preservation of the Gospel,” said Dr. Helena Marcus of Oxford University.
This find joins a growing body of archaeological evidence supporting the rapid growth of Christianity in Egypt and the broader Roman world, especially among communities outside Jerusalem in the first two centuries after Christ.
