Papyrus 72

The manuscript is a codex (precursor to the modern book). It is the earliest known manuscript of the epistles of Jude and 1 and 2 Peter in their entirety, though a few verses of Jude are in a fragment designated as (P. Oxy. 2684). P.Bodmer VII (Jude) and P.Bodmer VIII (1-2 Peter) form part of a single book (the Bodmer Miscellaneous Codex). This book appeared on the antiquities market in Egypt and was bought by the Swiss collector Martin Bodmer. The same scribe who copied P.Bodmer VII and VIII is also thought to have copied P.Bodmer X and XI. The manuscript contains the usual nomina sacra for Messiah, Jesus, God, Lord, Spirit, Father, plus a few non-standard ones: (power), Σα (Sarah), Αβμ (Abraham), (Noah), (Archangel Michael), and Εχ (Enoch). A facsimile edition of Bodmer Papyrus VIII was published in 2007 by Testimonio Compañía Editorial. ==Text==

The Greek text of this codex is considered a representative of the Alexandrian text-type. According to biblical scholars Kurt and Barbara Aland, it has "normal" text in 1-2 Peter, but a "free" text in Jude, both with certain peculiarities. Aland placed it into Category I of his New Testament manuscript classification system. Category I is for manuscripts "of a very special quality, i.e., manuscripts with a very high proportion of the early text... To this category have also been assigned all manuscripts to the beginning of the fourth century, regardless of further distinctions which should also be observed, in order to include the witnesses of the period before the tradition was channeled into types..." The text is close to that seen in Codex Vaticanus and Codex Alexandrinus. ==See also==