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One of the world's oldest charms found in Manchester
Papyrus is 1500 years old - one of the world's oldest charms Credit: PA
A 1,500 year-old papyrus fragment found in The University of Manchester’s John Rylands Library has been identified as one the world’s earliest surviving Christian charms. It contains some of the earliest references to the Last Supper and ‘manna from heaven’. It is the earliest surviving document to use the Christian Eucharist liturgy - which outlines the Last Supper - as a protective charm. Dr Roberta Mazza, a Research Fellow of the recently established John Rylands Research Institute came across it when he was working on thousands of fragments of unpublished historical documents. The charm casts important new light on early Christianity - just 300 years after the Roman emperor Constantine converted to the religion.
