Papyrus 6 (in the Gregory-Aland numbering), designated by or by õ 021 (in von Soden's numbering), is a fragmentary early copy of the New Testament in Greek and Coptic (Akhmimic). It is a papyrus manuscript of the Gospel of John that has been dated paleographically to the 4th century. The manuscript also contains text of the First Epistle of Clement, which is treated as a canonical book of the New Testament by the Coptic Church. The major part of the codex is lost.
The Greek text of the codex has several unusual textual variants.
The codex contains text of the First Epistle of Clement in Coptic (Akhmimic dialect) on the first 26 pages of the manuscript, Coptic Epistle of James on the pages 91âÂÂ99, and Greek and Coptic Gospel of John on the page 100. Pages 27âÂÂ90 have not survived. About 25 pages contained the rest of the text of the First Epistle of Clement and one page of text of , but there were about 28 pages with unknown content. According to Friedrich Rösch there is not space for the Second Epistle of Clement.
The original size of pages probably measured 28 cm by 15 cm. According to the reconstruction the text of the codex was written in one column per page, 30 lines per page. It is written in uncial letters. The nomina sacra are written in an abbreviated way (ùÃÂà, øàà).
About 200 fragments of the codex have survived. 15 fragments from the four original leaves contain the Greek text of the Gospel of John.
The Greek text of the codex contains: Gospel of John ,. 9âÂÂ10; ,.
The Coptic (Akhmimic) text of the codex contains: First Epistle of Clement 1:1-26:2; ,; ,; .
The Greek text of this codex is a representative of the Alexandrian text-type. Kurt Aland placed it in Category II of New Testament manuscripts, because it has some alien readings.
In it has singular word order ÃÂ[÷ý ÃÂÃÂý÷ý ÃÂÃÂý ñûûÿ]ÃÂÃÂùÃÂý. Other manuscripts have reading ÃÂ÷ý ÃÂÃÂý÷ý ñàÃÂÿàñûûÿÃÂÃÂùàor ñàÃÂÿàÃÂ÷ý ÃÂÃÂý÷ý ñûûÿÃÂÃÂùÃÂ.
In it reads ñúÿûÿàø÷ÃÂÃÂÃÂùý, the reading of the codex is supported by the manuscripts: Sinaiticus, Regius, Washingtonianus, Koridethi, Athous Lavrensis, 0250. The alternative reading ñúÿûÿàø÷ÃÂÿàÃÂùý occur in the manuscripts A, B, D, ÃÂ, 700, and other.
In it has singular reading ÃÂù ÷ý ñ for ÃÂù; the reading of the codex is not supported by any other manuscript.
In it has unique addition: ô]õ (between ÿ and úûõÃÂÃÂ÷ÃÂ) â ÿ ôõ úûõÃÂÃÂֈinstead of ÿ úûõÃÂÃÂ÷ÃÂ.
In it reads ÷ý ôõ ÃÂùàõúõù for ÷ý ôõ ÃÂùÃÂ; the reading of the codex is not supported by any other manuscript.
In name Mariam has an unusual spelling with using Coptic letters (Mariham).
In it has singular reading ÃÂ÷àüñÃÂøñý úñù ÃÂ÷ý ñôõûÃÂõý ñàÃÂ÷ÃÂ.
In it has reading ÿù õûøÿýÃÂõàÃÂÃÂÿàÃÂ÷ý ÃÂñÃÂùñü along with the manuscripts Papyrus 59, Vaticanus, Ephraemi, Regius, minuscule 33; other manuscripts read ÿù õûøÿýÃÂõàüõÃÂñ ÃÂñÃÂùñü.
Caspar René Gregory did not try to estimate its date. Friedrich Rösch suggested the 5th or 6th century, according to him the earlier date of the codex is excluded by presence 1 Epistle of Clement. Some scholars date it even so late as 7th-8th century. Currently it is dated by the INTF to the 4th century. It is difficult to date the manuscript on the palaeographical ground because of its fragmentary nature.
The manuscript was discovered in Egypt. It was the second manuscript with translation 1 Epistle of Clement into Coptic and the first in Akhmimic dialect. The Greek text of the codex was published by Gregory in 1908. Friedrich Rösch published the text of the whole manuscript Coptic and Greek in 1910.
It is currently housed at the Bibliothèque nationale et universitaire (Pap. copt. 379. 381. 382. 384) in Strasbourg.