There are five primary Uncial manuscripts that are invaluable for New
Testament research. They are Codices Sinaiticus and Vaticanus, from about
the middle of the fourth century; Codices Alexandrinus, Ephraemi Rescriptus,
and Bezae Cantabrigiensis, from the fifth century. When the King James Version
was published in 1611, the only Uncial manuscript available was Codex Bezae.
It is the manuscript used by Theodore Beza in the making of his Greek New
Testament published in 1565. The scholars who translated the KJV could have
only known fewer than twenty-five late manuscripts of the New Testament. In the
late 1880's when the English Revised Version and the American Standard Version
of 1901 were published, approximately 1600 manuscripts of the New Testament
(or parts of it) were known. Today there are approximately 5735 known
manuscripts and fragments available for research. Since the publication of the
KJV, the ERV, and the ASV many important manuscript discoveries have
been made.
In 1868 Constantine von Tischendorf published the first papyrus manuscript,
now designated as P 11. It is from the seventh century and contains portions of
1 Corinthians. Shortly thereafter two more papyri were published by Gregory and
Tischendorf, P 7 from the fourth to sixth century, contains Luke 4:1-2, and P 4
from the third century, contains portions of Luke 1,2,3,4,5,6. In 1898 Carl
Wessely and J. Rendel Harris published two papyri, P 3 from the sixth century,
contains portions of Luke 7 and 10, and P 14 from the fifth century, contains
portions of 1 Cor. 1-3.
The rest of the papyri (numbering about 116) were discovered since 1898.
Twenty one of these papyri (Oxyrhynchus, almost all dating between 200-400
A.D.) were published by 1922 and contain a broad sampling of verses from
several New Testament books at an early date: P 1,5,9,10,13,15,16,17,18,19
,20,21,22,23,24,26,27,28,29,30,39. In the early 1930's three papyrus MSS
P 45,46,47 known as the Chester Beatty Papyri were discovered and published.
In the 1950's and early 1960's another group known as the Bodmer Papyri
(named after the owner, Martin Bodmer of Geneva) were discovered and
published. Five new Testament papyri are in this collection; P 66 (175-200 A.D.,
containing most of John), P 72 (third century, containing 1&2 Peter and Jude),
P 73 (seventh century, containing portions of Acts and the general epistles), and
P 75 (200 A.D. containing most of Luke and over half of John). The earliest copy
of the original text now known is P 52 (dated about 115-125 A.D., containing a
few verses of John 18:31-34, 37-38).
The most monumental manuscript discovery for Old Testament study is the
Dead Sea Scrolls, found in the caves near the Dead Sea in 1947. They were
discovered in the vicinity of Wadi Qumran. These scrolls contain Genesis,
Exodus, Deuteronomy, Psalms and Isaiah in part. The Dead Sea Scrolls are
one thousand years older than the oldest manuscripts previously known to Old
Testament scholars.
RD
Copyright 2011
Testament research. They are Codices Sinaiticus and Vaticanus, from about
the middle of the fourth century; Codices Alexandrinus, Ephraemi Rescriptus,
and Bezae Cantabrigiensis, from the fifth century. When the King James Version
was published in 1611, the only Uncial manuscript available was Codex Bezae.
It is the manuscript used by Theodore Beza in the making of his Greek New
Testament published in 1565. The scholars who translated the KJV could have
only known fewer than twenty-five late manuscripts of the New Testament. In the
late 1880's when the English Revised Version and the American Standard Version
of 1901 were published, approximately 1600 manuscripts of the New Testament
(or parts of it) were known. Today there are approximately 5735 known
manuscripts and fragments available for research. Since the publication of the
KJV, the ERV, and the ASV many important manuscript discoveries have
been made.
In 1868 Constantine von Tischendorf published the first papyrus manuscript,
now designated as P 11. It is from the seventh century and contains portions of
1 Corinthians. Shortly thereafter two more papyri were published by Gregory and
Tischendorf, P 7 from the fourth to sixth century, contains Luke 4:1-2, and P 4
from the third century, contains portions of Luke 1,2,3,4,5,6. In 1898 Carl
Wessely and J. Rendel Harris published two papyri, P 3 from the sixth century,
contains portions of Luke 7 and 10, and P 14 from the fifth century, contains
portions of 1 Cor. 1-3.
The rest of the papyri (numbering about 116) were discovered since 1898.
Twenty one of these papyri (Oxyrhynchus, almost all dating between 200-400
A.D.) were published by 1922 and contain a broad sampling of verses from
several New Testament books at an early date: P 1,5,9,10,13,15,16,17,18,19
,20,21,22,23,24,26,27,28,29,30,39. In the early 1930's three papyrus MSS
P 45,46,47 known as the Chester Beatty Papyri were discovered and published.
In the 1950's and early 1960's another group known as the Bodmer Papyri
(named after the owner, Martin Bodmer of Geneva) were discovered and
published. Five new Testament papyri are in this collection; P 66 (175-200 A.D.,
containing most of John), P 72 (third century, containing 1&2 Peter and Jude),
P 73 (seventh century, containing portions of Acts and the general epistles), and
P 75 (200 A.D. containing most of Luke and over half of John). The earliest copy
of the original text now known is P 52 (dated about 115-125 A.D., containing a
few verses of John 18:31-34, 37-38).
The most monumental manuscript discovery for Old Testament study is the
Dead Sea Scrolls, found in the caves near the Dead Sea in 1947. They were
discovered in the vicinity of Wadi Qumran. These scrolls contain Genesis,
Exodus, Deuteronomy, Psalms and Isaiah in part. The Dead Sea Scrolls are
one thousand years older than the oldest manuscripts previously known to Old
Testament scholars.
RD
Copyright 2011
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