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Read a version of this article with footnotes.
The Egerton Gospel fragment is perhaps one of the more interesting textual fragments to pop up over the years because it opens the door to new possibilities in showing that there are perhaps countless unknown Gospel texts that we have simply lost access to throughout history. This fragment was perhaps composed in the early 2nd century CE and the manuscript itself dates from 150-200 CE (Malyk and Zelyck). This makes the Egerton fragments among the earlier Gospel fragments in existence, among a number of other early fragments. This makes the Egerton Gospel perhaps later but composed and transmitted around the same time as the canonical Gospels.
The question of its relationship to the larger Synoptic tradition is one of the more important questions related to this small fragment. John Pryor notes that the Egerton Gospel had no knowledge of the Synoptics but did know and revere John’s Gospel. Similarly, Malik proposes a Johannine echo in the Egerton Gospel but not a complete reliance on John by this text. The distancing of Jesus from his Jewish interlocutors in Egerton is evidence of this influence, a trend starting with the Gospel of John. Crossan also adds to the discussion by noting that the Egerton Gospel is an early textual tradition, perhaps contemporaneous with the Gospel of Thomas and even the canonical materials.
Scholars divide the small fragment into five pericopes:
- Debate over Credentials (l. 1-24)
- Attempt to Seize Jesus (l. 25-34)
- The Healing of the Leper (l. 35-47)
- Debate with False Questioners (l. 50-66)
- Miraculous Fruit (l. 67-82)
- [Further Violence Against Jesus (l. 83-94)]
The first pericope titled, “Debate Over Credentials” consists of Lines 1–24 and resembles many of the debates between Jesus and the Jewish leaders throughout the Gospels. The term used here is nomikois and archontas, translated into English as lawyers and leaders of the people, respectively. This could refer to the Rabbis, who were a distinct group at the time of the composition of this papyrus, or perhaps another group. The responses of Jesus are recorded but there is no indication as to what the lawyers said to him. He seems to be defending himself in all of the responses. He says that faith in Moses was not enough because they do not recognize Jesus.
The nomikois of Egerton are the “lawyers” of the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew 22:35; Luke 10:25; Titus 3:13; plural, Luke 7:30; Luke 11:45f, 52; Luke 14:3). These are presumably experts in Jewish law, especially given the type of discourse they engage in with Jesus. The Rabbinic parallel might be the synegoria (נכנסה סניגוריא ולימדה עליו זכות – Midrash Tanchuma Va’era 4) or the livlar (לבלר), perhaps derived from the Latin libarius or libellarius (b. Sanhedrin 17b), a trained official who writes with a kulmos (m. Shabbat 1:3). The other possibility is the sofer (m. Gittin 8:8; b. Ketubot 51a). These terms seem to be equivalents and served a technical function by recording the proceedings of the beit din. The use of nomikois in the Gospel traditions does not seem to necessarily reflect the technical skills of the scribal profession as described in rabbinic literature, but serve as a broader reference to rabbinic religious figures.
From the second century onwards, a class of legal experts appears in the documentary evidence, known as nomikoi. The emergence of this class reveals a change in the legal culture in the Roman Empire of the time, which prompted the need for local legal experts. The emergence of this class led to a rise in the legal expertise from the Rabbis who wanted to compete with this class. The nomikoi served as experts on local law and advised Roman judges on matters of family law and inheritance. They also served as notaries who drafted legal documents, and translated legal documents from Greek to Latin. The nomikoi in textual evidence found in Egyptian papyri might not be high-profile experts in Roman law but local practitioners. The Roman judges relied on these local experts to adjudicate cases, as there were distinct legal traditions in operation throughout the Roman Empire and they needed locals to explain how various concepts mapped onto Roman jurisprudence. The nomikoi were praised for their service to the country and city in Greek papyri from the East, however, these might have been a different class of nomikoi as mentioned in the Egyptian papyri. The emergence of this class of legal experts shows the stabilization of Roman rule in the provinces, and how locals developed the means to navigate the complicated Roman legal bureaucracy.
These types of polemical references are found in the Synoptic tradition and might reveal an earlier phase in which the Jesus movement emerged from a Pharisaic core, who saw the death and resurrection of Jesus, as understood by the group, as confirmation of their belief in the resurrection as Pharisees. The name Pharisee itself, found throughout the New Testament, could be the result of a type of pun used by the Pharisees’ opponents to mock their theological orientation. Knowles concludes, “Amid intense religious rivalry in the period between the two Jewish revolts, the ambiguous nature of serpents makes them a suitable focal point for intercommunal disputation. Both communities, it would seem, concur in associating Jewish scholars with ophidian imagery. That is, both employ the wordplay “serpent/scribe,” or possibly “serpent/Pharisee,” but they do so to opposite ends: in the Mishnah (as later in the Gemaras) with cautionary approbation; in Matthew’s Gospel (and in line with one of several alternatives that appear in Dead Sea literature), as a term of denunciation. From one point of view, such language explains the “fire” of the sages; from another, the same authorities are “snakes, offspring of vipers” in the worst sense.” Some have even seen possible puns in Paul’s use the phrase “ἀφορισμένος εἰς εὐαγγέλιον θεοῦ” (Rom 1:1; cf. Gal 1:15) to be a play on words with Φαρισαῖος.
There are many possible canonical parallels. I will look at each section of this pericope. The first part about Jesus’ defense of himself as not a wrongdoer or transgressor. This has some parallel with some things that Paul or the Pauline school said about themselves. However, I think this is not a strong parallel.
The first pericope seems heavily dependent on John, but with other canonical parallels. The first clause contains the significant words, τοῖς νομικοῖς (the lawyers), παραπράσσοντα (wrongdoer) and ἄνομον (transgressor/lawless), all in inflected forms. The language in this section could reflect the apocalyptic language found throughout the New Testament. The word παραπράσσοντα is rare and does not occur in the LXX or Greek New Testament. The word ἄνομον is used frequently in the LXX, with the rabbinic equivalent being pasha’. It is used in the NT with both a neutral connotation, such as in 1 Cor. 9:21 when it refers to being without the law. However, it also is used negatively to refer to transgressors.
The implied term, kolazo, punish, is used only twice in the NT, in one case to refer to Peter and John’s appearance before the Sanhedrin and in 2 Peter 2:9 to refer to the apocalyptic judgment of the wrongdoers. This passage refers also to the lawless deeds that will be punished at the time of judgment. This section of 2 Peter parallels Jude 4, 6–13. It is, of course, unlikely that the Egerton Gospel fragment knew of these texts, but it is noteworthy to point out the use of the same type of language.
| ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν (or εἶπεν δὲ)] τοῖς νομικοῖς· [? κολάζετε] πάντα τὸν παραπράσσοντα [καὶ ἄνο]μον καὶ μὴ ἐμέ· . . . α̣ι̣ . . . . . . . οποιεῖ πῶς ποιεῖ; And Jesus said to the lawyers: “Punish every wrongdoer and transgressor, and not me. […]* he does, how does he do it?” | θεοῦ γὰρ διάκονός ἐστιν σοὶ εἰς τὸ ἀγαθόν. ἐὰν δὲ τὸ κακὸν ποιῇς, φοβοῦ· οὐ γὰρ εἰκῇ τὴν μάχαιραν φορεῖ· θεοῦ γὰρ διάκονός ἐστιν, ἔκδικος εἰς ὀργὴν τῷ τὸ κακὸν πράσσοντι.ὁ γὰρ ἀδικῶν κομίσεται ὃ ἠδίκησεν, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν προσωπολημψία. βλέμματι γὰρ καὶ ἀκοῇ [ὁ] δίκαιος ἐνκατοικῶν ἐν αὐτοῖς ἡμέραν ἐξ ἡμέρας ψυχὴν δικαίαν ἀνόμοις ἔργοις ἐβασάνιζεν οἶδεν Κύριος εὐσεβεῖς ἐκ πειρασμοῦ ῥύεσθαι, ἀδίκους δὲ εἰς ἡμέραν κρίσεως κολαζομένους τηρεῖν, Romans 13:4 for it is God’s agent for your good. But if you do what is wrong, you should be afraid, for the authority does not bear the sword in vain! It is the agent of God to execute wrath on the wrongdoer. Colossians 3:25 For the wrongdoer will be paid back for whatever wrong has been done, and there is no partiality. 2 Peter 2:8–9(for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by their lawless deeds that he saw and heard), 9 then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trial and to keep the unrighteous until the day of judgment, when they will be punished |
I also wish to point out that the Egerton Gospel could be engaging in some polemical defense of Jesus vis-a-vis the developing rabbinic literature of the time, which was increasing its own polemical attacks against Jesus and Christianity. The contemporaneous literature in the Tosefta both alluded to Jesus’ conception through an adulterous union (t. Hullin 2:22-24) and that Jesus was a mesit, one who incited people to idolatry and that he was tried and executed by the Sanhedrin.
tSan 10:11
All who are sentenced to death according to the Torah, one does not execute them except the inciter (מסית). How? One nominates two scholars of the sages in the inner house and he sits in the outer house, and they light the candle for him so that they see him and hear his voice. And they did thus with Ben Stada in Lod, and two scholars of the sages decided concerning him and had him stoned.
ySan 12:4, 13d
He who tears his skin in the form of writing, lo he is liable. And he who writes on (his) skin the form of writing, lo he is exempt. Said Rabbi Eliezer to them: Had not Ben Stada brought spells (כשפים) from Egypt in such a manner? They said to him: Because of one fool we lose many wise people.
The second part of the pericope has more obvious parallels with John. In fact, it seems like there is a textual relationship between these two texts, because there is nearly verbatim agreement between the two texts, although in John the context is different. It is hard to establish which text came first, in this case.
Here, Jesus addresses the archontas you laou, more likely referring to the Rabbis, as a group. This phrase is used in the LXX to refer to the nasi (נשיא), the word used in rabbinic literature to refer to the president of the Sanhedrin. It can be used more broadly to refer to the magistrate or judge, but the context referring to Moses makes it more likely that this was referring to the Jewish leadership. The first part of this pericope shares nearly verbatim agreement with passages in John 5:39, 45 and 9:29. In this section, Jesus defends himself by imploring his interlocutors to search the Scriptures and they will testify on his behalf. Indeed, it is Moses who accuses the leaders because they have failed to recognize Jesus.
The latter part of the pericope shares nearly verbatim agreement with John 5:46, with the changing of the latter part to say that Moses wrote about Jesus to the fathers, rather than about me in the canonical version. There are a number of other passages in John that share some of the ideas not mentioned in the material in John 5 or 9.
πρὸς δὲ τοὺς ἄρχοντας τοῦ λαοῦ [στ]ρα[φεὶς] εἶπεν τὸν λόγον τοῦτον· ἐραυνᾶτε τὰς γραφάς, ἐν αἷς ὑμεῖς δοκεῖτε ζωὴν ἔχειν· ἐκεῖναί εἰσιν αἱ μαρτυροῦσαι περὶ ἐμοῦ. μὴ δοκεῖτε ὅτι ἐγὼ ἦλθον κατηγορῆσαι ὑμῶν πρὸς τὸν πατέρα μου· ἔστιν ὁ κατηγορῶν ὑμῶν Μωϋσῆς, εἰς ὅν ὑμεῖς ἠλπίκατε. And turning to the rulers of the people he said this word: “Search the scriptures, in which you think you have life. These are they, which testify about me. Do not suppose that I have come to accuse you to my father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, in whom you have hoped.” | ἐραυνᾶτε τὰς γραφάς, ὅτι ὑμεῖς δοκεῖτε ἐν αὐταῖς ζωὴν αἰώνιον ἔχειν· καὶ ἐκεῖναί εἰσιν αἱ μαρτυροῦσαι περὶ ἐμοῦ· μὴ δοκεῖτε ὅτι ἐγὼ κατηγορήσω ὑμῶν πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα· ἔστιν ὁ κατηγορῶν ὑμῶν Μωϋσῆς, εἰς ὃν ὑμεῖς ἠλπίκατε John 5:39, 45 You search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life, and it is they that testify on my behalf. Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; your accuser is Moses, on whom you have set your hope. |
αὐτῶν δὲ λεγόντων· εὖ οἴδαμεν ὅτι Μωϋσεῖ ἐλάλησεν ὁ θεός, σὲ δὲ οὐκ οἴδαμεν πόθεν εἶ, And they said: “We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for you, we do not know where you are from.” | John 9:29 ἡμεῖς οἴδαμεν ὅτι Μωυσεῖ λελάληκεν ὁ θεός, τοῦτον δὲ οὐκ οἴδαμεν πόθεν ἐστίν. We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from. |
[υμων το α]πιστει[ν] τοις υπ αυτου[…]μενοις· ει γαρ επι-[στευσατε Μω(υσει)]· επιστευσατε α[ν][εμοι·πε]ρ[ι] εμου γαρ εκεινο[ς] [εγραψε]ν τοις πατ[ρα]σιν υμω[ν]. Jesus answered and said to them: “Now is accused your disbelief in those who have been commended by him. For had you believed Moses, you would have believed me. For about me he wrote to your fathers. | εἰ γὰρ ἐπιστεύετε Μωυσεῖ, ἐπιστεύετε ἂν ἐμοί, περὶ γὰρ ἐμοῦ ἐκεῖνος ἔγραψεν. εἰ δὲ τοῖς ἐκείνου γράμμασιν οὐ πιστεύετε, πῶς τοῖς ἐμοῖς ῥήμασιν πιστεύσετε; οὗτος ἦλθεν πρὸς αὐτὸν νυκτὸς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ Ῥαββεί / ῥαββί, οἴδαμεν ὅτι ἀπὸ θεοῦ ἐλήλυθας διδάσκαλος· οὐδεὶς γὰρ δύναται ταῦτα τὰ σημεῖα ποιεῖν ἃ σὺ ποιεῖς, ἐὰν μὴ ᾖ ὁ θεὸς μετ’ αὐτοῦ.ἀλλὰ τοῦτον οἴδαμεν πόθεν ἐστίν· ὁ δὲ χριστὸς ὅταν ἔρχηται οὐδεὶς γινώσκει πόθεν ἐστίν. Ἔκραξεν οὖν ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ διδάσκων ὁ Ἰησοῦς καὶ λέγων Κἀμὲ οἴδατε καὶ οἴδατε πόθεν εἰμί· καὶ ἀπ’ ἐμαυτοῦ οὐκ ἐλήλυθα, ἀλλ’ ἔστιν ἀληθινὸς ὁ πέμψας με, ὃν ὑμεῖς οὐκ οἴδατε·ἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς Κἂν ἐγὼ μαρτυρῶ περὶ ἐμαυτοῦ, ἀληθής ἐστιν ἡ μαρτυρία μου, ὅτι οἶδα πόθεν ἦλθον καὶ ποῦ ὑπάγω· ὑμεῖς δὲ οὐκ οἴδατε πόθεν ἔρχομαι ἢ ποῦ ὑπάγω.ἀπεκρίθη αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς Εἶπον ὑμῖν καὶ οὐ πιστεύετε· τὰ ἔργα ἃ ἐγὼ ποιῶ ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ πατρός μου ταῦτα μαρτυρεῖ περὶ ἐμοῦ·νῦν κρίσις ἐστὶν τοῦ κόσμου τούτου, νῦν ὁ ἄρχων τοῦ κόσμου τούτου ἐκβληθήσεται ἔξω· John 5:46-47 If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. 47 But if you do not believe what he wrote, how will you believe what I say?” John 3:2He came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with that person.” John 7:27-28 Yet we know where this man is from, but when the Messiah comes no one will know where he is from.” 28 Then Jesus cried out as he was teaching in the temple, “You know me, and you know where I am from. I have not come on my own. But the one who sent me is true, and you do not know him. John 8:14 Jesus answered, “Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid because I know where I have come from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. John 10:25 Jesus answered, “I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name testify to me, John 12:31 Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. |
In sum, PEgerton 2 I.1–24 seems to be a reworking of John 5:39, 45–46 with the addition of material from 9:29 in the middle, which is compared below in English. The canonical material is complemented by non-canonical material, with relatively few direct parallels, although reflecting canonical themes.
| PEgerton 2 I.1–24 | John 5:39; 45; 9:29; 5:46 |
| And Jesus said to the lawyers: “Punish every wrongdoer and transgressor, and not me. […] he does, how does he do it?” And turning to the rulers of the people he said this word: “Search the scriptures, in which you think you have life. These are they, which testify about me. Do not suppose that I have come to accuse you to my father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, in whom you have hoped.” And they said: “We know that God spoke to Moses,but as for you, we do not know where you are from.” Jesus answered and said to them: “Now your disbelief is accused in those who have been commended by him. For had you believed Moses, you would have believed me. For, about me he wrote to your fathers. | 5:39 You search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life, and it is they that testify on my behalf. 5:45 Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; your accuser is Moses, on whom you have set your hope.9:29 We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from. 5:46 If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. |
While it is often claimed that the Egerton Gospel is independent and not a harmonization, I think the evidence points directly towards it relying on the canonical material and towards a harmonization, or even a condensed version of canonical material. It is hard to ascertain entirely, given that we do not possess the entire manuscript. It seems as though this fragment expands upon the related material in John 5 by inserting its own comments and drawing from later material in John. The additional material frames the Johannine material in the fragment, adding an even more polemical tone to the original.
A Jewish View 