Ancient Manuscripts How Are They Dated?/Dating Key Greek Bible Manuscripts

The Alexandrine Manuscript (Codex Alexandrinus), now held in the British Library, was the first of the major Bible manuscripts made available to scholars.  It contains most of the Bible and is written in Greek uncials on vellum, a fine grade of parchment.  This codex has been dated to the early fifth century C.E., largely because of the changes that occurred in uncial writing between the fifth and sixth centuries, as exemplified in a dated document called the Dioscorides of  Vienna.

A second major manuscript made available to scholars is the Sinaitic Manuscript (Codex Sinaiticus), acquired by Tischendorf at St. Catherine's monastery. Penned in Greek uncials on parchment, it contains p;art of the Hebrew Scriptures from the Greek Septuagint version as well as all of the Christians Greek Scriptures.  Of this codex, 43 leaves at the British Library in London; and portions of 3 leaves  in St.Petersburg Russia.  The manuscript has been dated to the latter part of the fourth century C.E. This date is supported by marginal tables in the Gospels known to have been devised by fourth-century historian Eusebius Caesarea.

A third important work is the Vatican Manuscript No. 1209 (Codex Vaticanus), which originally contained the entire Bible in Greek.   This codex appeared in the Vatican Library catalog for the first time in 1475.  Written in Greek uncials on 759 leaves of fine parchments, or vellum, the codes contains much of the Bible, with the exception of most of Genesis, part of the Psalms, and portions of the Christian Greek Scriptures.  

Scholars have assigned the manuscript to the early fourth century C.E. How did they arrive at this date?   The writing is similar to that of the Sinaitic Manuscript, also of the fourth century.  The Vaticanus, though, is generally regarded as being a little older. Among other things, for example, it lacks the cross references of the Eusebian canons.

Next time: Ancient Manuscripts How Are They Dated?/Treasure From a Rubbish Heap

From the Awake! magazine