The Oxyrhynchus Papyri, Part 13

[two small fish], but what are these for [
10[so many? Jesus] said, Make the people [
[sit down. Now there was much grass] in the place. [
20[So the men] sat down, in number [
11[about five] thousand. Jesus then took [
[the loaves, and] having given thanks, He gave [
[to them that were seated;] likewise also from [
[of the fish as much] as they wanted. And when [
25 12[they were filled,] He says to His disciples [

17[went] over the sea to Capernaum.
40[And] it was already dark and Jesus had not [come] to them.
18And the sea was stirred up by a great wind [blowing].
19[Having rowed] then about twenty-five or thirty [stades,] they see
[Jesus] walking [upon the sea]
45and coming near to the boat, and
20they were afraid. But He [says to them, It is I;]
21do not fear. [They] wanted then to take Him
into the boat, and [immediately the boat was]
22upon the land to which [they were going. The next day]
50the crowd that [was standing on the other side of the sea]
saw that there was no [other] boat there, except one [

16-18. The restorations of these lines, based on Sinaiticus and Vaticanus, are quite long enough, even allowing for the slope of the column towards the left, which is noticeable on the verso. Hence it is very improbable that 1596 agreed with Alexandrinus and many later MSS. in adding "in" original: "ἐν" after "lad" in l. 16 and "but" original: "δέ" after "said" in l. 18.

19. "much grass" original: "χόρτος πολύς": so nearly all MSS.; "polys chortos" A.

20. "the men then" original: "οὖν οἱ ἄνδρες": this, the reading of Sinaiticus, Vaticanus, etc., suits the space better than "the men, the people" original: "οἱ ἄνθρωποι ἄνδρες" (A, etc.). Some MSS. omit "then" or "the", and 1596 may have had "the men," omitting "then."

21. "[about]" original: "ὡσεὶ" (A and most MSS.) suits the length of the lacuna better than "as" original: "ὡς" (Sinaiticus, Vaticanus).
"took" original: "ἔλαβεν" (l. "e-le-ben").
"then" original: "οὖν": so Sinaiticus corrected, Alexandrinus, Bezae, and some others; "but" original: "δέ" Sinaiticus original, etc.

22. "having given thanks" original: "εὐχαριστήσας": so Alexandrinus, Vaticanus and most MSS.; "gave thanks and" original: "εὐχαρίστησεν καί" Sinaiticus, Bezae, etc.