1500 Year Old Christian Relic Provides Amazing Evidence of Jesus Christ And The Bible

The Last Supper Papyrus is a bold declaration of the Christian faith.

A 1500-year-old Egyptian papyrus could be the oldest extant document that references the final Passover meal Jesus Christ ate with His disciples before the Crucifixion (commonly known as “The Last Supper”). Dubbed ‘The Last Supper Papyrus’, the relic may be one of the greatest finds of antiquity and provides powerful evidence for the existence of Jesus Christ, the reliability of the Bible and the spread of the Christian faith in the ancient world.

Dr. Roberta Mazza, a Research Fellow of the John Rylands Research Institute, discovered what she calls “the amulet” while searching through thousands of unpublished ancient and historical documents in the library’s vaults. The Last Supper Papyrus had been untouched since 1901. Through carbon dating, Dr. Mazza concluded that the relic was an item that worn on a necklace by a devout believer in 6th century Egypt.

Dr. Mazza said: “This is an important and unexpected discovery as it’s one of the first recorded documents to use magic in the Christian context and the first charm ever found to refer to the Eucharist – the last supper – as the manna of the Old Testament. The text of the amulet is a combination of biblical passages including Psalm 78:23-24 and Matthew 26:28-30 among others.” (source).

What Dr. Mazza calls “magic” is what Christians refer to as faith – the belief in the God of the Bible, who, though unseen, certainly does protect the souls and lives of those who believe in Jesus Christ. Today, many people were necklaces, bracelets or shirts that have Bible verses inscribed on them – for inspiration, reminders to live Holy or just to proclaim their Christian faith to the world. In the case of the Last Supper Papyrus, it appears that the creator of the Biblical charm, adapted the Egyptian practice of wearing amulets, but used paraphrased Bible Scriptures instead to give a powerful Gospel message to the world.

The reverse side of the papyrus revealed that it was originally a receipt for a grain tax.

Through spectral imaging, Dr. Mazza was able to read the reverse side of the papyrus and identify it as a receipt for payment of a tax on grain from village of Tertembuthis, outside the ancient city of Hermopolis, in modern el-Ashmunein.

Dr Mazza explained: ‘The amulet maker would have cut a piece of the receipt, written the charm on the other side and then he would have folded the papyrus to be kept in a locket or pendant. It is for this reason the tax receipt on the exterior was damaged and faded away.”

The Text of The Last Supper Papyrus

Dr. Roberta Mazza examines The Last Supper Papyrus.

Fear you all who rule over the earth.
‘Know you nations and peoples that Christ is our God.
‘For he spoke and they came to being, he commanded and they were created; he put everything under our feet and delivered us from the wish of our enemies.
‘Our God prepared a sacred table in the desert for the people and gave manna of the new covenant to eat, the Lord’s immortal body and the blood of Christ poured for us in remission of sins.’
[The full text of The Last Supper Papyrus] (source).

Examining each line of the papyrus reveals a deep understanding of Christian theology.

“Fear you all who rule over the earth.”

The first line is in keeping with many passages in Scripture that address the rulers of the world. The point being made is that the most powerful people on Earth should listen to God’s Word because The Lord truly reigns over them. It is a stern reminder of God’s position as Creator and Sovereign over the universe. An example found in Psalm 2 in which the Scripture addresses the many kings and rulers who conspire against God:

Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. – Psalm 2:10-11.

Psalm 148 reads:

Kings of the earth, and all people; princes, and all judges of the earth: Both young men, and maidens; old men, and children: Let them praise the name of the LORD: for his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heaven. – Psalm 148:11-13.

Psalm 89 provides a Messianic prophecy of Jesus and confirms his preeminence over any Earthly ruler:

He shall cry unto me, Thou art my father, my God, and the rock of my salvation. Also I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth. – Psalm 89-26-27.

‘Know you nations and peoples that Christ is our God.’

The second line addresses all the people of the world and makes the bold proclamation that The Lord Jesus Christ is God. This provides amazing proof of the belief in ancient times that Jesus Christ was not a “teacher” or “philosopher”, but God in the flesh. A principle supported throughout Scripture. After the resurrection of Christ, the Disciple Thomas comes to the realization:

And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My LORD and my God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. – John 20:26-29.

Thomas spoke to the resurrected Jesus Christ in person and believed that He was indeed God. Note that Jesus responds by giving honor to those who “…have not seen, and yet have believed.” – a reference to the “magic” Dr. Mazza referred to, those who believe in Jesus by faith through the words of the Bible.

The papyrus was discovered in Mallawi, Egypt, over 600 miles from Jerusalem.

‘For he spoke and they came to being, he commanded and they were created; he put everything under our feet and delivered us from the wish of our enemies.’

The first part of this line paraphrases from Psalm 33:

By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast. – Psalm 33:6-9.

This shows belief that God created the universe, something Scripture states repeatedly to confirm that authority of The Lord. [B&E: Also notice how the words from this 6th century document so closely match the King James translation that exists today. This is remarkable proof of the preservation of the Bible through 1500 years]. The second portion of the line references another important Christian belief: that all true Christians will receive the Earth as their inheritance at the Second Coming of Christ.

O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph. For the LORD most high is terrible; he is a great King over all the earth. He shall subdue the people under us, and the nations under our feet. He shall choose our inheritance for us, the excellency of Jacob whom he loved. Selah. – Psalm 47:1-4.

The phrase “under feet” is an ancient slang term for rulership. Putting one’s foot on a fallen foe was a sign of conquest. And this is what awaits Christians at the return of Jesus Christ when He defeats the Antichrist, False Prophet and their armies and imprisons Satan for the duration of the Millennial kingdom. Romans 16 states: “And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.”

In Hebrews Chapter 2, a passage about Jesus lowering Himself to become human, only to return to His fully position as God incarnate, ruling over all, also uses the phrase:

Thou madest [Jesus] a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands: Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. – Hebrews 2:7-9.

The book of Ephesians connects the rulership of Christ to the church, who is “in Christ” and thus, receives the inheritance of the Earth through Him:

And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. – Ephesians 1:19-23.

 

This is further confirmed in Revelation chapter 1: “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.” (Revelation 1:5-6).

‘Our God prepared a sacred table in the desert for the people and gave manna of the new covenant to eat, the Lord’s immortal body and the blood of Christ poured for us in remission of sins.’

Here Psalm 78 is referenced by the papyrus author. The passage is a reminder of the Israelites wandering the wilderness after the exodus from Egypt and their rebellious attitude as they doubted that God could provide for them it the midst of a barren desert:

And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust. Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness? Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread also? can he provide flesh for his people? Therefore the LORD heard this, and was wroth: so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel; Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation: Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven, And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven. Man did eat angels’ food: he sent them meat to the full. – Psalm 78:18-24.

This line demonstrates an understanding of the Gospel: that God saves fallen, sinful humanity through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. The Israelites rebelled in the wilderness because they did not believe God, that He would deliver them to the Promised Land (called such because God had already “promised” the land to Abraham, the patriarch of the Israelites, several generations earlier). Their lack of faith and trust in God’s salvation in the desert was a type of the general lack of faith all people are born with. Due to our sin nature, we doubt God’s Word in sinful rebellion. But through the Gospel, the message of salvation in Jesus Christ, a person’s heart can be stirred to belief and eternal life.

The manna in heaven was food that God literally rained down from Heaven in the wilderness for the ancient Israelites. It was a symbol of God’s supernatural provision and a foreshadow of salvation. The Israelites did not have to work or earn the manna. They did not plant a seed to make it grow. God created it and delivered it personally. So it is with eternal life. There is no earning salvation. It is “..the gift of God and not of works, lest any man should boast.” And Jesus Christ confirmed the type and shadow of the manna when He said:

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. – John 6:47-51.

The writer of the Last Supper papyrus understood the profound foreshadowing all throughout the Bible that points the reader to Jesus Christ and salvation through Him alone. The final portion of the papyrus reads: ” and gave manna of the new covenant to eat, the Lord’s immortal body and the blood of Christ poured for us in remission of sins.” This is a direct reference to Matthew 26:

And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. – Matthew 26:26-28.

Faith in Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on the cross is the new testament or new covenant between God and humanity. Once again the Last Supper Papyrus shows a deep understanding of the Christian faith and Scripture. It also shows how popular Bibles were at that time since so much Scripture is referenced in such a small document.
Magic Charm Or Bold Witness of Faith?

Many Christians today wear jewelery to proclaim their faith. (Image courtesy of Versetag).

Also of note is that the amulet is not focused on the wearer. It is not a plea for “protection” or a request for earthly blessing. There is no reference to the person wearing the necklace at all. It’s not a “magic rock” or jewel. It is instead a written statement focused on Jesus Christ. It is a bold proclamation that Jesus is God, Creator of all things and that through His shed blood on the cross sins are forgiven. And that through Christ a believer receives eternal blessings. The papyrus is not expressing fear or a concern for temporal well-being. It is an affirmation that believers will receive Heaven and Earth through Jesus.

The Last Supper Papyrus is truly a remarkable and rare treasure from ancient history. It shows the power of the Christian faith and the preservation of God’s Word through two millennia. Unlike the hoax documents like the dubious and debunked “Gospel of Jesus’ Wife”, this fragment praises Jesus Christ and promotes the Christian faith. Will it get the same amount of media coverage as the allegedly “ancient” documents that attack Christianity? Will this document see documentaries, magazine covers and televised news segments on its incredible rarity?
As Beginning and End has detailed in the past, there is more ancient manuscript evidence to support the existence and account of Jesus Christ than any figure in ancient history. This papyrus is yet another piece of evidence of the impact the Son of God had on the ancient world. If you are Christian let this document inspire you to study the Scripture and know it to the point the author of the Last Supper Papyrus did. If you are not a Christian, take time to look at the evidence of Christ with an open heart and know that no magic charm can protect us from the sickness, violence and death of this world. But our souls can be saved eternally through Jesus Christ. And that is what the ancient world proclaims to us today.