Uncial 057: The Lame Man at the Beautiful Gate

Egyptian provenance is reported for the fragment; it entered the Berlin papyrus collection before its twentieth-century publication. The Gregory–Aland number GA 057 and the repository designation Berlin State Museums, Papyrussammlung, P. 9808 control identity independently of generic labels such as “uncial fragment.” Modern custody does not establish ancient provenance, so this dossier separates find or collection history, likely copying context, publication, and present location. The record was also checked against the live Watchman 33 inventory by GA number, shelfmark, contents, and source URLs before selection. Digital photographs extend access, but the parchment itself remains the archaeological object.

one small parchment leaf fragment, preserving Acts 3:5–6 and 3:10–12, preserving parts of the healing at the temple gate and the crowd’s recognition. The surviving writing surface uses two columns of twenty-seven very small majuscule lines on a fragment about 9 by 13 centimeters. Material, ruling, lineation, ink, letter formation, corrections, marginal systems, bilingual writing, and reuse are evidence alongside the copied words. The selected image depicts GA 057 itself, not a generic manuscript. It represents one photographed side or leaf and must not be mistaken for every missing page of the original codex.

The display date “Fourth or fifth century AD” follows current registry and palaeographic assessment. Letter forms, ruling, page design, material, ink, and comparison with related hands can support a range, but they do not supply an exact calendar year. This manuscript directly preserves Acts 3:5–12 in the period when it was copied. That is evidence for the transmission and use of those texts, not proof that the physical leaf was present when the narrated events occurred.