Collections’ Highlights
"Wyman Fragment" (Uncial 0220), Romans 4:23–5:3; 5:8–13 in Greek
"Wyman Fragment" (Uncial 0220), Romans 4:23–5:3; 5:8–13 in Greek
MS.000566
Manuscript
ca. 3rd century AD
Fustât, (Egypt)
Greek
Ink on Vellum
3.2 × 4.3 in. (8.1 × 11 cm)
Not on View
The Wyman Fragment (Uncial 0220) is a leaf from a late third- or early fourth-century Greek codex containing parts of Paul's letter to the Romans, specifically 4:23–5:3 and 5:8–13. It is one of the oldest surviving fragments of these texts. The fragment shows the use of nomina sacra (abbreviations of words like God, Lord, Jesus, Christ, etc.), which was a prevalent practice among Christians in their early texts and lasting through the Middle Ages.
Egypt, ca. 3rd century AD. Discovered in the 20th century by local inhabitants in Fustât. Privately purchased on July 3, 1950 in Cairo by Dr. Leland C. Wyman, Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts (1897–1988);[1] By descent in the Wyman family until 1988; Purchased at auction in 1988 by Martin Schøyen, Norway; [2] Purchased at auction in 2012 by Green Collection, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; [3] Donated in 2014 to Museum of the Bible, Washington, DC.
Notes: [1] The purchase of this item is described in W. P. Hatch, “A Recently Discovered Fragment of the Epistle to the Romans,” Harvard Theological Review 45 (1952), 81–85, and in David M. Brugge and Charlotte J. Frisbie, eds., Navajo Religion and Culture, Selected Views, Papers in Honour of Leland C. Wyman (Santa Fe: Museum of New Mexico Press, 1982), 5. [2] Sotheby’s, June 21, 1988, Lot 47. [3] Sotheby’s, July 20, 2012, Lot 3.
Selected References:
Steve Green, Jackie Green, and Bill High, This Dangerous Book (Harper Collins, 2017).
David M. Brugge and Charlotte J. Frisbie, eds., Navajo Religion and Culture, Selected Views, Papers in Honour of Leland C. Wyman (Museum of New Mexico Press, 1982).
W. P. Hatch, "A Recently Discovered Fragment of the Epistle to the Romans,” Harvard Theological Review 45 (1952), 81–85.
Museum of the Bible Publications:
Werner, Roland S. Unser Buch: Die Geschichte der Bibel von Mose bis zum Mond (Our Book: The Story of the Bible from Moses to the Moon). (Vandenhoek & Ruprecht GmbH & Co. KG and Museum of the Bible, 2017). 41.
Jennifer Atwood and Stacey L. Douglas, eds. Passages: Exploring the Bible in Four Movements. An Exhibition Guide. (Museum of the Bible, 2015), 24, 26.
Questions about our Collections?
To acquire permission to use this image, please visit our Rights and Reproduction page .
More From The Collections
