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Daniel Smith, a UT Austin religious studies doctoral student who became blind later in life, is now working with the UT Austin student disability services to interact with and study an ancient papyri fragment from an apocryphal Gospel.

 

The fragment itself is very old and is one of many that was discovered in an ancient trash heap in the Egyptian city of Oxyrhynuchs. It’s interesting in that it may preserve early traditions about Jesus ministry that do not depend upon the canonical accounts. If it in fact dates to 175-225 as has been argued, it is one of our earliest Gospel fragments, canonical or otherwise. Here are some images of the manuscript. The university’s disability services has helped create tactile images of this fragment and others like it, so that Dan is able to feel the handwriting he is studying.

 

A Florida pastor and a member of his congregation escaped injury this week after they say a man pulled a knife on them after they offered to pray with him.

Ramon Ortiz Felipe, 30, was arrested Sunday.  According to a police report, he is charged with aggravated assault at a religious institution, assault and criminal mischief in a place of worship.  The report says the pastor offered to pray with Felipe near a store-front church.  After they prayed, the police report says Felipe pulled out a knife and began damaging church property. The pastor and a church member fled to a safe location and called police.

The police report does not give a motive for the vandalism. Jail records show he remains held on $20,000 in bonds.

A Georgia teen charged with vandalism of a church apologized to the pastor in person before turning himself in to police, according to a report from WSB Television. Nathaniel Rabideau, 19, is one of two charged in the vandalism of the Seed Planters Church in McDonough, Georgia.

Rabideau and his accused accomplice, Tyler Casey, 19, of Monroe, of Monroe, Ga, are set to appear in court on Monday on charges of burglary, criminal damage to property and vandalism to a place of worship.

According to 11alive television, the damage was done on March 19 and included Satanic messages spray-painted on the church building walls, a kicked-in door and broken windows.

Pastor Daunta Long told Fox4atlanta that the congregation has been making repairs and plans an Easter Sunday service in the building.  The TV station’s article includes photos of the damage.

The church plans to install a state-of-the-art security system to deter future damage to the building, according to WMAZ.