The Medieval Bible — Eastern Christian Bible

Byzantine Scribes Preserve the Greek Scriptures

c. AD 500-1500

Greek-speaking churches continuously copied the Septuagint and New Testament, producing the majority of surviving Greek manuscripts.

Full Account

Byzantine scribes copied Scripture for churches, monasteries, study, and private devotion. Over time, minuscule handwriting replaced older majuscule scripts and enabled faster, more compact copying.

The large number of later manuscripts often shares readings known as the Byzantine text. Numerical majority alone does not decide the earliest reading, but these witnesses preserve an important and continuous stream of transmission.

Historical Significance

Byzantine copying ensured the survival of the Greek New Testament and supplied many manuscripts later used in printed Greek editions.

People, Places and Sources

Key people: Greek scribes; monks; clergy and scholars
Key places: Constantinople; Mount Athos; Sinai; Byzantine Empire
Languages: Greek