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Logia Iesou 3rd century CE
Leaf from a papyrus codex
ink on papyrus; 14.8 x 9.7 em
MS. Gr. tho e. 7 (P)
© Bodleian Library, University of Oxford

The transition from roll to codex--the modern form of the book, with leaves bound to allow immediate access to any part of the text--was as significant a development in the history of human learning as the invention of printing. It took place in the first few centuries of the Common Era, and coincided with the transition from papyrus to parchment as the main writing material of the Western world. This leaf, from the Graeco-Roman culture of Egypt, was excavated in 1896-97 at Oxyrhynchus, about 190 kilometres south of Cairo, and was dated for its script as 'not much later than the year 200'. Each paragraph of the manuscript begins 'Jesus says.. .' and although much of the material is duplicated in the canonical Gospels, some material is new or shows an unexpected turn of phrase. The adoption of the new codex book format by the early Christians may have been the decisive factor in the development of the Western form of the book.

 

January 2002 Volume XII Number 4

BLACK MOUNTAIN LIBRARY: GATEWAYS AND DISCOVERIES

Diana Giese visits the CSIRO’s Black Mountain site in Canberra, home to one of Australia’s major science libraries

'YOU HAVE MADE HISTORY'-- DENY KING'S CONTRIBUTIONS TO SCIENCE

Continuing an earlier story, Christobel Mattingley celebrates the legacy of a renowned amateur naturalist from South-West Tasmania

THE DAILY DINNER

While researching Australian newspaper records in the Collection, Colin Bannerman uncovered an interesting example of early food journalism

DOWN AMONG THE STACKS

Sylvia Marchant takes a walk through the Library’s lower levels to explore the extensive parliamentary records

'HAPPY EVER AFTER'

Robert Holden tells how a rare Mary Poppins work came to the Collection via the Library’s centenary BookSearch initiative

FRIENDS

A regular news page about the activities of the Friends of the National Library of Australia

TREASURES TALKS & EVENTS

Special talks and events given in connection with the Library’s Treasures from the World’s Great Libraries exhibition

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