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http://www.breadofangels.com/7q5/key.html
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Anyone familiar with the controversy concerning the identification of fragment 7Q5 is aware of the highly detailed arguments over certain letters that may or may not appear on the papyrus. Sometimes these arguments make note of the physical condition of the papyrus surrounding a given letter; but rarely is the condition of the entire fragment taken into consideration. The purpose of this web page is to do just that, to examine as best as possible the papyrus fragment that bears the text that has been the subject of so much debate and publicity. A secondary aim is novel: to attempt to demonstrate that 7Q5 is physically comprised of at least two distinct papyrus scraps; and that a portion of one is partly covered by another. The third goal follows from the second: to explore the possibility that the identity of some of the uncertain letters can be clarified; and that additional letters might be discovered in the area where the papyrus scraps overlap.
To begin with, I start with the
description of the fragment that was given in the editio princeps, which
was the first published edition of this fragment. This edition appeared in 1962
and is entitled: "Discoveries in the Judaean Desert of Jordan III, Les 'Petites
Grottes de Qumrân". It is commonly referred to by the initials DJD III. On pages
142-146 the fragments from Qumran cave 7 are analyzed and deciphered. The larger
fragments, such as 7Q5, have a description that includes details about the size,
quality and condition of the papyrus.
The first sentence describes the size and condition of the papyrus. In French it reads: "Papyrus fin, très abîmé, et disloqué à droite"; which in English is translated as: "A papyrus of fine quality, which is very much damaged, and is displaced at the right." I have used the last three words, "disloqué à droite", as part of the title for this web page because they indicate something that could very well resolve the controversy that has surrounded this fragment since 1972. To translate these words as: "displaced at the right" is one thing; to understand what they mean or imply is yet another.
What follows below is an attempt,
using photographs and diagrams, to understand what the words "disloqué à droite"
indicate. The primary source photograph that I have used for this purpose was
taken by the well-known Israeli photographer David Rubinger in 1972. It has been
reproduced many times since then. In 1978 it appeared as plate II on page 18 of
"The First New Testament" by David Estrada and William White, Jr. I have copied
this photograph with the permission of Thomas Nelson, Inc. It appears as image
#1 in the chart below and it will be found in other charts as well, serving as a
basis for comparison. All the other images and diagrams that appear on this web
site are derived from this primary photograph by means of shading, tinting,
outlining, or diagramming. In the images that are diagrams the orientation or
direction of the papyrus fibers is shown by means of various grids taken from
scans of two different type of graph paper. Any of these images can be clicked
upon in order to access a larger copy of the image. (Approximately 75-140 KB in
size).
1. A large primary portion with horizontal papyrus fibers.
(See image #2 below)
What follows below is a series of detailed observations regarding the Primary, Displaced and Uncertain portions of fragment 7Q5. These observations are in turn followed by my conjectures, which are more speculative in nature. These conjectures examine the possibility that there is a tertiary scrap of papyrus, which may also exhibit a matching alignment of papyrus fibers with the primary portion. I then explore the possible existence of additional letters in lines 1-3 of the text. I finally end with my conclusion.
It is hoped that the above observations and conjectures, along with the questions that they naturally raise, demonstrate the necessity and propriety of closely re-examining Qumran fragment 7Q5 in the manner suggested above in order to resolve or defuse the controversy that has surrounded this fragment since 1972. It is my personal opinion that such an examination is not only possible but necessary, since no responsible attempt to identify or edit Qumran fragment 7Q5 should be undertaken without first seeking to accurately decipher as many of the Greek letters as possible. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The area in the diagram at left that is highlighted by logarithmic graph paper
represents the primary portion of 7Q5. The green lines of the grid are
horizontal and vertical, as are most of the papyrus fibers on this portion of
the fragment. All of the letters described in DJD III are located within this
portion except for the p that might follow the
a in line 2. It is likely that this scrap extends to
the right and is overlapped by the displaced portion.
The right-hand third of the diagram is highlighted by graph paper with a normal,
square grid. This grid, however, is rotated 10 degrees counter-clockwise in
order to represent the orientation of the papyrus fibers that are visible in
this section of the photo. This is the primary distinguishing characteristic of
the displaced portion. Furthermore, there are no letters visible on its surface;
and it is slightly lighter and smoother in appearance than the larger portion to
the left.
This diagram shows the areas that are not highlighted in the other images. I
have been unable to determine whether these areas belong to the primary or to
the displaced portions of 7Q5. These areas are mostly dark spots in the original
photograph. In the photos below I have outlined them and shaded them in a dark
gray in contrast to the rest of the fragment.
The above observations, which are merely based on a single photograph, give rise
to a variety of questions: What is the actual appearance of the recto and verso
surfaces of 7Q5? Would an examination of both of these surfaces enable one to
discern two or more papyrus scraps? Is it possible to know the outlines or outer
edges of these scraps and thus determine the areas where they overlap? Is there
any writing that is obscured by a scrap of papyrus which overlaps it? If a close
re-examination of the recto and verso surfaces of 7Q5 could provide some answers
to these questions, what kind of answers could one expect? 
In view of the above observations it is possible to speculate that part of the
primary portion broke loose and shifted downward about 1 mm. This hypothetical
tertiary scrap would probably include the top two lines of text at the upper
right area of 7Q5, which is indicated by the tinted portion of the diagram to
the left. At this point I cannot determine the extent to which this tertiary
scrap had shifted horizontally. The extent of the vertical shift will be
discussed in the other conjectures that follow below. It is possible that this
scrap broke away from the primary portion and became reattached over the course
of time. It is also possible that it is still connected to the primary portion
but is displaced due to a wrinkle in the papyrus.
In the area above the large hole, which is indicated by the tinted circular area
in the diagram at left, one finds a portion of papyrus that overlaps the primary
portion and casts a shadow on it. If this portion were shifted upwards about 1
mm., the horizontal papyrus fibers appear to match those just below the trace of
the letter that is on the far left of line 1 of the primary portion. In image
#14 below, please take note of the shaded portion and how it is then shifted
upwards in images #15 and 17 in relation to the rest of the fragment. In the
corresponding enlargements (images #16 and #18) at the bottom of the chart, the
blue line represents the left edge of the shaded portion. The red dashes to the
left of this line indicate papyrus fibers that appear to align with
corresponding fibers indicated by blue dashes in the shaded area to the right of
the line.
At the top of the uncertain portion, at the right-hand end of line 1, is what
appears to be the trace of the upper right-hand curve of a letter such as an
o or an w. If this trace
were to be raised slightly, about 1 mm., it would be better aligned horizontally
with the other letter in line 1, which is found on the left-hand end of that
same line as found in the primary portion.
In DJD III, one reads that the letter after the a
in line 2 might be a p; although it is too low to be
certain. If it were raised about 1 mm., the horizontal stroke would align with
the tops of the other letters in line 2. (See image #20 in the chart below.)
Because this horizontal stroke slopes upwards to the right, it is unlikely that
it is part of an h or a q.
Perhaps it is part of a t or p
which is followed by an o or w
that is joined to it, as with the tw in line 2. In
image #21, I have provided a diagram of the pertinent portions of lines 2 and 3
of the text that are identical to that which is depicted in image #20. In three
instances I have darkened the traces of ink in the diagram in order to draw
attention to the similarities of the letters, all of which could be a
t or p followed by an o
or w.
If the displaced portion could be peeled back from line 3, it is possible that
one could find an w or o
following the t, as is suggested in DJD III. (See
images # 22-24 below.) It is also possible that additional letters could be
found farther to the right.
The essence of these conjectures is as follows: Qumran fragment 7Q5 is comprised
of at least three papyrus scraps. The primary portion, as described above,
preserves five lines of text. This large portion is partly overlapped along its
upper right edge by the secondary or displaced portion, which does not appear to
have any writing on it. If it could be removed or peeled back, certain obscured
letters in lines 1-3 might be clarified or revealed. A third papyrus scrap is
also partly covered by the upper half of the displaced portion. This tertiary
portion appears to preserve two lines of text and also appears to have
horizontal papyrus fibers which align with those in the primary portion. This
alignment of text and fibers suggests that this scrap had shifted downward about
1 mm. Finally, it is quite possible that additional letters could be discerned,
especially in lines 2 and 3. The following three images in the chart below, (#
25-27), summarize in a graphical manner the overall aim of what I have sought to
convey at this web site.