It's not often that an artifact is a song. Found in Egypt and written 1800 years ago, the lyric and musical notations are the oldest surviving Christian hymn ever found - “The First Hymn.”
Known by scholars as “P.Oxy 1786”, this artifact was discovered by archaeologists in the ancient Egyptian city of Oxyrhynchus in 1918. Now, the story behind the discovery of the hymn is being told in a brand new documentary called, First Hymn.
As part of the documentary release, Dove and Grammy-Award winner Chris Tomlin and Ben Fielding were invited to resurrect the song into a piece of modern worship music almost two millenniums later.
Watch the Trailer for the First Hymn Documentary right here.
Tomlin and Fielding co-wrote “The First Hymn” using the original 35 words and music found on the small piece of papyrus that was unearthed.
The feature-length documentary, First Hymn follows Dr. John Dickson and other historians as they trace the history of the original hymn from its ancient resting place in Egypt to the United Kingdom. The documentary then takes viewers to Australia and America as Tomlin and Fielding take it in to the writing rooms and recording studios in Nashville to resurrect the hymn for the modern church.
“The First Hymn is a sacred gift passed down from the early Church—some of whom literally gave their lives for this song and for the gospel,” shared Tomlin. “Now, 1,800 years later, we stand in a long line of brave and bold believers, singing alongside them.
Tomlin says, “I am incredibly grateful and humbled to join my friend Ben Fielding and the Undeceptions Documentary Team in honoring those who came before us and helping bring this powerful hymn back to life—and back into the voice of the Church.”
Tomlin’s participation in the The First Hymn follows on the heels of his involvement in the THE LAST SUPPER movie, where he not only executive produced but also recorded, mixed, mastered, and released (all in seven weeks) his song “No Greater Love,” as the End Credits song for the film. This achievement was preceded by Tomlin’s involvement in Amazon Prime Video’s series, ‘House of David’ with his song, “After Your Heart” included in the soundtrack.
The song “The First Hymn” is available now HERE. The First Hymn documentary will be available at digital retailers in August.
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