Oxyrhynchos Papyri

OXYRHYNCHOS PAPYRI
In 1900, Drs. Grenfell and Hunt of the Oxford University traveled up the Nile to Oxyrhynchos, a site that lies on a tributary of the Nile that flows into the Fayum Oasis. They were searching for buried treasure which they thought lay in the tombs of the pharaohs. During the course of their excavations, they came upon a great hall half filled with stuffed crocodiles. They were in the process of having their native workers move the crocodiles out of the way to see what might be beyond when one of the workers dropped a crocodile. It hit a sharp object and broke open. It was filled with papyri.

Further investigation showed that these stuffed crocodiles contained a whole library of ancient writings. These included some Biblical manuscripts from the second century as well as grammar and etymology books which led to a greater knowledge of the Koine Greek.