Bring the First Hymn back to life

The First Hymn Project is a world-first for music, Christianity, and history.

In the ruins of the ancient Egyptian city of Oxyrhynchus, archaeologists have uncovered a scrap of papyrus that contains the earliest known Christian hymn. Specialists were stunned to discover that 'P.Oxy 1786' contained not just the lyrics of an 1,800-year-old song, but its music as well. For the first time, the world can know not only what these ancient believers were singing about, but also hear how their song sounded.

Australian historian John Dickson - now a professor at Wheaton College in the US - is creating a feature-length documentary that aims to give this ancient hymn back to the world. It will recount the hymn's discovery in the deserts of Egypt, and analyze its contents at Oxford University, in the United Kingdom.

But this isn't just an historical documentary, it's also an epic musical journey. Chris Tomlin and Ben Fielding - two of the world's most respected Christian composers - are working to resurrect this song as a piece of modern worship music. The First Hymn will then be released on album and in concert as a finale to the production.

By helping fund The First Hymn Project, you can play an integral part in telling the story of P.Oxy 1786, and giving this 1,800-year-old hymn back to the world.