Rescuing and Ancient Gem From the Trash

 WHAT comes to your mind when you think of a rubbish heap?  You likely associate such a sight with refuse and an unpleasant smell. So you would hardly expect to find anything of value there, much less a priceless gem. 

Yet a century ago a treasure of sorts was found in just a place-the trash. The treasure was, not a literal gem, but something of great value.  What kind of treasure was uncovered? Why is its discovery important to us today?

AN UNEXPECTED FIND

At the turn of the 20th century, Bernard P. Grenfell and Arthur S. Hunt, scholars at the University of Oxford, visited Egypt.  There, among the garbage heaps close to the Nile Valley, they discovered a number of papyrus fragments. Later, in 1920, while the two colleagues were busy cataloging the collection, Grenfell acquired some additional fragments that had been dug up in Egypt. He acquired these on behalf of The John Rylands Library in Manchester, England. However, both men died before the catalog was finished. 

Colin H. Roberts, another scholar at Oxford University, completed the task.  While he was sorting the fragments, he spotted a papyrus scrap measuring 3.5    by  2.4 inches (9 x 6 cm) To his amazement, the Greek handwriting contained words that were familiar to him. On one side were words taken from John 18:31-33.  The other side contained parts of verses 37 and 38. Roberts realized  that he had stumbled upon a priceless gem. 

Next time: Rescuing an Ancient Gem From the Trash - DETERMINING ITS AGE

From the Watchtower magazine, 2015