Irenaeus Papyrus Replica | P.Oxy. 405 | Baptism of Jesus | Matt. 3:16–17 | Early Church Father

P.Oxy. 405 is one of the earliest surviving copies of Irenaeus’ Against Heresies, preserving his Greek quotation of Matthew 3:16–17 and the Baptism of Jesus.

Papyrus

A wonderful gift for a baptism or for just anyone who appreciates Church history and the Early Church Fathers!

Own this remarkable replica of an early Christian manuscript in which the Church Father Irenaeus of Lyons writes about the Baptism of Jesus and directly quotes Matthew 3:16–17, preserved in Greek on papyrus from the beginning of the 3rd century AD.

Papyrus Oxyrhynchus 405 (P.Oxy. III 405) preserves portions of Irenaeus of Lyons’ Against Heresies, Book III, chapter 9, copied in Greek around AD 200, only a few decades after Irenaeus composed the work!

Among the surviving text is Irenaeus’ quotation of Matthew 3:16–17, recounting the Baptism of Jesus: the heavens opening, the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and the heavenly voice declaring Jesus the beloved Son. Unlike a Gospel manuscript, P.Oxy. 405 is an early Christian theological work quoting Scripture directly. It is especially valuable because much of Against Heresies no longer survives continuously in its original Greek. These fragments preserve actual Greek wording from one of the earliest surviving copies of Irenaeus’ writings.

Crafting the P.Oxy. 405 Papyrus Replica

Each Sacred Text Replica begins with careful research and close study of the surviving ancient manuscript.

This replica was created on premium Egyptian papyrus, reflecting the material of the original manuscript. The manuscript image is reproduced through a high-quality printing process, and then the physical replica is finished entirely by hand. Each piece is individually shaped, distressed, and aged to reflect the surviving condition of the original..

Working slowly under magnification, the papyrus fibers are carefully worked by hand to recreate the irregular edges, lacunae and other natural signs of deterioration present in the original manuscript.

Additional hand-finishing and aging techniques are applied to capture the overall character and appearance of the ancient artifact as faithfully as possible.

Because every replica is individually finished by hand, slight variations are natural, making each completed piece subtly unique.

DISPLAY OPTIONS
8" × 10" black floating frame OR 8" × 10" magnetic acrylic display

One handcrafted P.Oxy. 405 replica on premium Egyptian papyrus
One laminated 4" × 7" manuscript information card

P.Oxy. 405 is an especially fascinating piece because it brings together an Early Church Father, one of the earliest surviving copies of his writings, and an ancient quotation of the Gospel account of Christ’s baptism in a single surviving manuscript.

More than eighteen centuries later, these fragments still preserve Irenaeus’ discussion of the Christian faith alongside his quotation of the words describing the Baptism of Jesus, an extraordinary glimpse into the transmission of Scripture and Christian teaching in the early Church.