Papyrus P137: Mark 1:7–9; Mark 1:16–18 in a Greek Witness

Grenfell and Hunt excavated the fragment at Oxyrhynchus, probably in 1903 based on its inventory context, although flattening and resorting later obscured the exact season number. A preliminary record card once suggested a first- or second-century hand without identifying the text. After recognition as Mark in 2011, private conversations generated public claims about a first-century Gospel fragment and possible sale. The Egypt Exploration Society reviewed its holdings, established that the piece was and remained EES property, and required publication. Dirk Obbink and Daniela Colomo published it in 2018. The EES statement is essential evidence because it separates verified excavation, ownership, and final dating from rumor.

The surviving piece measures about 4.4 by 4 centimeters, with reconstructed page dimensions near 9.4 by 12 centimeters and roughly twenty-five lines per page. Both sides carry Greek text, identifying it as part of a codex leaf. Abrasion is severe, especially on one face, and the clearest identification depends on a small number of letter sequences aligned with Mark 1. The hand is a competent but not luxurious literary script. Its small page reconstruction may point to a compact book, but a lone fragment cannot reveal binding, quire arrangement, decoration, or whether the codex contained Mark alone or multiple Gospels.

The editors assign P137 to the late second or early third century after comparison with objectively dated documentary and literary hands. This replaced the preliminary first-/second-century note that had fueled popular claims. Palaeography yields a range, not an exact year, and responsible presentation retains both ends. As an Oxyrhynchus codex fragment, P137 shows Mark circulating in Greek in Roman Egypt relatively early in the Gospel's transmission. It does not establish the date of Mark's composition, identify its scribe or reader, or prove the codex was copied at Oxyrhynchus rather than merely discarded there.