Printing and Modern Bibles — Manuscript Discoveries

Codex Sinaiticus Becomes Known to Modern Scholarship

AD 1844-1859

Leaves and later larger portions of the fourth-century Codex Sinaiticus were brought to scholarly attention through Constantin von Tischendorfs visits to Saint Catherines Monastery.

Full Account

Codex Sinaiticus contains the earliest complete surviving New Testament and substantial portions of the Greek Old Testament. Its text includes numerous corrections made over centuries of use. The manuscript is now divided among four institutions, whose digital project reunites high-resolution images and scholarly information online.

Historical Significance

Sinaiticus greatly expanded evidence for the early Greek Bible and became a major witness in modern textual criticism.

People, Places and Sources

Key people: Constantin von Tischendorf; scribes and correctors of Codex Sinaiticus
Key places: Saint Catherines Monastery; Leipzig; London; St Petersburg
Languages: Greek
Scripture: Mark 16:8