Papyrus 136 Explained

Papyrus 136 (designated as ¹³⁶ in the Gregory-Aland numbering system) is a small surviving portion of an early copy of part of the New Testament in Greek. It is a papyrus manuscript of the Acts. The text survives on a single fragment of a rotulus, the text on the verso being upside-down in relationship to the text on the recto. The manuscript has been assigned paleographically to the sixth century.^[1]

Location

¹³⁶ is housed at the David M. Rubenstein Library, Duke University, Durham, NC in the United States.^[2]

Textual Variants

• 4:27 According to the Smiths' reconstruction,^[3] it contains the majority reading Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: εν τη πολει ταυτη (in this city) along with ^45vid 01 03 05 08 044 33 1241 1739, versus Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: εν τη πολει σου ταυτη (in this your city) found in 02 (the phrase is absent in over 20 manuscripts, including 1 18 61 69 88 462 641 1241 1505).
• 4:28 According to the VMR transcription^[4], it reads Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: η χειρ σου και η βουλη (your hand and counsel) along with 02* 03 08* 323 945 1175 1739 versus the majority reading Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: η χειρ σου και η βουλη σου (your hand and your counsel) of 01 05 044 18 33 424 614 1241 1505. The Smiths' reconstruction reads Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: η χειρ σου και η δουλη (your hand and maidservant).
• 4:30 It reads Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: την χειρα σε εκτινειν ([your] hand you to be extending) with P74 02 1175, versus Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: την χειρα σου εκτεινειν σε (your hand to be extending you) of most manuscripts; Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: εκτεινειν την χειρα σου (to be extending your hand) of ⁴⁵; Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: την χειρα εκτεινειν σε ([your] hand to be extending you) of 03; and Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: την χειρα σου εκτεινειν (your hand to be extending) of 05 08 044 33 323 945 1241 1739.
• 7:26 According to the Smiths' reconstruction,^[5] it reads Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: ανδρες αδελφοι εσται εινατ̣ι̣ (men, you are brothers, so why) supported by ⁷⁴ 01 02 03 04 08 044 323 945 1739, which read Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: ανδρες αδελφοι εστε ινα τι, versus Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: τι ποιειτε ανδρες αδελφοι (What are you doing, men, brothers?) of 05 and Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: ανδρες αδελφοι εστε υμεις εσται ινα τι (men, YOU are brothers) of most manuscripts.
• 7:28 A corrector added the missing εκθες to produce the reading εκθες τον αιγυπτιον as in ⁷⁴ 01 03* 04 (05 has αιχθεσ τον αιγυπτιον) 1175, versus τον αιγυπτιο¯ χθεσ of 02 and the majority reading χθεσ τον αιγυπτιον. All of these are variant ways of expressing the meaning of "yesterday."
• 7:30a Along with 05, it abbreviates the number 'forty' as overlined μ, which is usually spelled out as either τεσσερακοντα, as in ⁷⁴ 01 02 03* 04f 104 1003 1175, or as τεσσαρακοντα, as in 08 044 18 33 81 323 424 614 945 1241 1505 1739 and most other manuscripts.
• 7:30b It retains the character sequence ν πυρ, which indicates that while in pristine condition, it did not read εν φλογι πυρος (in a flame of fire) with the majority of manuscripts; the Smiths reconstruct the reading as εν πυρι φλογος (in a fire of flame), as found in 02 04.

See also

• List of New Testament papyri

Notes and References

1. Web site: A Fragmentary Acts of the Apostles Parus. Novum Testamentum, 60(3), 290–310. Brill. 5 March 2023. Leiden, Netherlands.
2. Web site: Liste Handschriften. Institute for New Testament Textual Research. 5 March 2023. Münster.
3. Smith, W. A., & Smith, V. H. (2018). P. Duke Inv. 1377 (136): A Fragmentary Acts of the Apostles Papyrus. Novum Testamentum, 60(3), 290–310.
4. Web site: New Testament Virtual Manuscript Room. Institute for New Testament Textual Research. 20 August 2024. Münster.
5. Smith, W. A., & Smith, V. H. (2018). P. Duke Inv. 1377 (136): A Fragmentary Acts of the Apostles Papyrus. Novum Testamentum, 60(3), 290–310.