Some of the earliest surviving biblical material will go on display at the Chester Beatty in Dublin this weekend.
The biblical papyri are in the library's permanent collection and among its most studied manuscripts, but are rarely put on public display because of their fragility.
The last significant exhibition dedicated to the papyri was 22 years ago.
The 'First Fragments' exhibition will display almost seventy objects including Coptic (Egyptian) bindings, fragments of ostraca (pieces of pottery used for writing) and illuminated Coptic manuscript pages.
Alfred Chester Beatty acquired biblical papyri during the first half of the 20th century from several suppliers.
Additional items for the exhibition are on loan from the National Museum of Ireland
The exhibition can be visited free of charge and there is also a 20-minute audio tour exploring highlights of the exhibition.
