The process that is used to obtain the papyri, which involves the destruction of the mummy masks, has also generated debate. The documents include philosophical texts and copies of stories by the Greek poet Homer. Not just Christian documents, not just biblical documents, but classical Greek texts, business papers, various mundane papers, personal letters,' Evans told Live Science. 'We're recovering ancient documents from the first, second and third centuries. The first-century gospel is one of hundreds of new texts that a team of about three-dozen scientists and scholars is working to uncover, and analyze, by using this technique of ungluing the masks, said Craig Evans, a professor of New Testament studies at Acadia Divinity College in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. In recent years scientists have developed a technique that allows the glue of mummy masks to be undone without harming the ink on the paper. Given how expensive papyrus was, people often had to reuse sheets that already had writing on them.
Although the mummies of Egyptian pharaohs wore masks made of gold, ordinary people had to settle for masks made out of papyrus (or linen), paint and glue. This first-century gospel fragment was written on a sheet of papyrus that was later reused to create a mask that was worn by a mummy.
