Numbers 26.63-27.7; 27.8-17

Folio from the Book of Numbers and Deuteronomy (R963), written in Greek with ink on papyrus; made in Egypt and dated to the second or third century AD. The text follows the Septuagint, or Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible. The manuscript is the earliest dated book in the Biblical Papyrus collection and until the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls (1947) was the earliest surviving copy of any portion of the Bible. Dated to the second century, it remains among the earliest surviving biblical manuscripts in codex form. It currently comprises 50 of an original 108 folios (28 substantial and 22 in smaller portions) plus scores of small fragments, and contains the text of Numbers 5.12-8.19, portions of 13, 25.5-36.13 and Deuteronomy 1.20-7.20, portions of 9-12, 18, 19, and 27-34. The codex was originally paginated throughout and these have survived in some cases. In several instances omissions have been added to the top or bottom margin and indicated by an 'anchor' both opposite the main body of text and the marginal addition. Paragraphi (short line at the left margin marking a new section) and line fillers are also occasionally employed. The manuscript, together with the ten other b