Tucked away in Oxford University’s historic library are the oldest surviving New Testament fragments, papyrus texts nearly 2,000 years old that are among Christianity’s most treasured writings. And its frayed edges and faded ink reveal that the story of Jesus was being written down earlier than skeptics sometimes admit. And so I'm holding that fragment,' said Johnston, who is set to release his new book 'The Jesus Discoveries.' The fragments are held in the Old Library of Magdalene College in OxfordThat quote is simply Jesus predicting that all his disciples would soon abandon him, as they later did. Speaking about the translations, Dr Johnston told the Daily Mail: 'We have four sayings of Jesus within those fragments.

Source: Daily Mail February 24, 2026 17:45 UTC