Science & Tech · Science & Environment · 7 hrs ago
Researchers identify possible account of Jesus' descent into the underworld
Researchers in Greece have deciphered a small, damaged Christian papyrus held at the Austrian National Library in Vienna.
The fragment is written in Greek and is thought to date from the fourth or fifth century.
Its surviving words may describe Jesus dying, descending to the realm of the dead and rising again, but several letters are missing and some words have been reconstructed.
The researchers think it could come from a sermon or another religious work that did not survive through later copying.
Christian tradition holds that Jesus entered the realm of the dead after his death and freed the righteous who had died before him.
If the interpretation is right, the fragment offers evidence of how ancient Christians described Jesus’ victory over death, though it does not preserve a complete account of the resurrection.
The papyrus’s author and exact place of discovery remain unknown.
Researchers say a roughly 1,600-year-old Greek papyrus fragment may describe Jesus’ death, descent into the underworld and resurrection.
The fragment, catalogued as P.Vindob. G 29289, was held among unpublished papyri at the Austrian National Library.
Researchers Amphilochios Papathomas and Marianna Thoma believe it may come from a Christian work that did not survive through medieval copying.
Their interpretation is tentative because the fragment is damaged and some words have been reconstructed.
- Who
- Researchers Amphilochios Papathomas and Marianna Thoma of the University of Athens studied the fragment.
- What
- They suggest it may describe Jesus’ descent into the underworld and return through resurrection.
- When
- The manuscript is thought to date from the fourth or fifth century. The study was published online on January 19, 2026.
- Where
- The fragment was held at the Austrian National Library in Vienna. Its precise place of origin is not stated.
- Why
- The researchers compared its surviving Greek wording with other ancient manuscripts and Christian writings to interpret it.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
This story does not have a timeline yet.
- Manuscript age
- Roughly 1,600 years old
- Catalogue number
- P.Vindob. G 29289
- Likely date
- Fourth or fifth century
- Researchers
- Amphilochios Papathomas and Marianna Thoma
- Publication
- Online on January 19, 2026, in Tyche
- Fragment size
- Two by three inches
What people are saying
The sense of the passage is probably that only Jesus and no one else went into Hades and returned through his resurrection.