![]() ![]() ![]() They differ from the papyri, majuscules, and minuscules in that they include segments of NT books the previous three categories include entire books normally in proper order. Lectionaries were used for reading in a church setting and date from the eighth to the sixteenth centuries. From the twelfth century on, paper was used. The earliest of these is dated from AD 835 and written on parchment. They are written in a lowercase form of Greek. Numbering approximately 2,958 manuscripts, the minuscules are the largest category of NT MSS. In an NT apparatus, they are indicated by a zero followed by a number (e.g., 0234). These number approximately 338 and date from the fourth to eighth centuries. The majuscules are parchment manuscripts written in an uppercase Greek form throughout. They are identifiable in an NT apparatus as “P” + a number (i.e., P46). Mostly found in Egypt where hot, arid climate has preserved the papyri, they date from the second to seventh centuries. The fewest in number (approximately 155), the papyri are a classification of manuscript in which the text is written on sheets of papyrus. These MSS can be subdivided into four distinct groups: 1. While copies of Homer’s Iliad-arguably the most important text in Greco-Roman society-currently number 1,535 manuscripts according to the Leuven Database of Ancient Books, the Greek NT MSS alone number close to six thousand. The number of Greek NT MSS is astounding relative to any other written texts from antiquity, often described as an embarrassment of riches. Since Greek NT MSS are the foundation of faithful Bible translation, they will be the focus of this article. Since at least the second century, translations of the Greek NT were being made into Latin and Syriac as well as Ethiopic, Gothic, Armenian, and Georgian. Ever since the first apostle set pen to parchment, faithful believers have been copying (or commissioning scribes to copy) the books of the New Testament for their use in church and home. The majority of NT MSS, however, were published prior to 1454 when Gutenberg’s printing press revolutionized book publishing. New Testament manuscripts are handwritten copies of the biblical text dating from the second century (AD 200) up to the mid-nineteenth century. But they’re also a source of continual debate and discussion concerning the origin of Christianity, the reliability of Scripture, and the nature of divine revelation. These manuscripts are a witness to the enduring character of the text and message of the Bible. Although the original parchments used by Paul, Luke, John, and the other apostles have long been lost, history has left thousands upon thousands of New Testament manuscripts (NT MSS). The books of the New Testament share in common the fact that they were all originally written in Greek. Facebook Twitter Reddit Pinterest Email LinkedIn ![]()
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