The Oxyrhynchus Papyri, Part 13

in e. g. 1598, is not preserved, so that it is uncertain whether this is the first leaf of the codex or only of a section. The beginnings of verses are marked by fresh lines which project slightly, and the ends by high stops apparently throughout, though owing to injuries to the surface these are not always discernible. The usual contractions for God theos, Lord kyrios (but not in l. 1), and heaven ouranos occur.

Verse 7 "The knowledge of wisdom, to whom was it revealed? And who has understood her great experience?" which is generally regarded as a doublet of v. 6, is omitted, as in the chief uncial MSS.; but v. 5 ("The word of God in the highest is the fountain of wisdom, and her ways are everlasting commandments") is retained, as in some cursives and versions (cf. ll. 16–19, n.), though this too has generally been rejected as a doublet of the preceding verse; cf. Box-Oesterley in Charles’s Apocr. and Pseudepigr. i. 318. The resemblance, however, between vv. 4–5 is much less marked than that between vv. 6–7, and since v. 4 ends with "of the age" original: "αἰῶνος", v. 5 with "everlasting" original: "αἰώνιοι", the hypothesis that the disappearance of v. 5 is an error due to homoioteleuton a scribe's error where similar endings cause words or lines to be skipped has, we think, more to justify it than the view that it is a Pharisaic addition. In other respects the text of 1595 is not remarkable, the spelling and arrangement agreeing with Aleph-A-C Codex Sinaiticus, Codex Alexandrinus, and Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus rather than with B Codex Vaticanus. A note at the bottom of the recto perhaps refers to an omission. This is the first papyrus of Ecclesiasticus.

1 [All] wisdom is from the Lord and 1

[is] with Him
forever.
[The] sand of the seas and 2

5 [the] drops of rain and
the days of the age, who
shall number them?
The height of heaven ouranou and the breadth of 3

[the] earth and the deep and
10 wisdom, who shall track
them out?
Before protera all things, wisdom was 4

created,
[and] the understanding of prudence
15 from the age.
[The] fountain of wisdom is the word of God theou 5

in the highest.
And her ways are
everlasting commandments.
20 The root of wisdom, to whom was it 6

revealed?
And her craftinesses
who has known?
One there is, wise, feared 8

25 exceedingly,
sitting upon
His throne.
The Lord kyrios Himself created her 9

and saw and numbered
30 her.
And He poured her out upon
all His works.
[[above . her]]