These twenty-five ancient manuscripts are just a few among the important surviving witnesses to the text of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Some preserve only a few lines; others contain long passages or complete Gospels. Together they help us trace how the written accounts of Jesus were copied and transmitted.
Here you can explore the physical evidence, its approximate dates, the Gospel passages preserved, and the institutions holding these manuscripts. Dating is often approximate, and differences between copies can be examined alongside their extensive agreements.
Our thirteen studies explain the transmission, dating, comparison, and preservation of the Gospels.
Explore the 13 Investigations25 manuscripts found.
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Date: Second century AD; dating remains approximate
Type: Papyrus
P52 provides early physical evidence that the account of Jesus before Pilate in John 18 was already being copied in a recognizable form. Its agreement with the later…
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Date: Late second to third century AD
Type: Papyrus
P66 is among the most important witnesses to the preservation of John. Its extensive surviving text allows direct comparison between an early papyrus codex and the Gospel as…
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Date: Traditionally third century AD; later dating has been proposed
Type: Papyrus
P75 provides substantial evidence for the preservation of Luke and John. Its close textual agreement with Vaticanus demonstrates that a remarkably similar form of these…
Date: Third century AD
Type: Papyrus
P45 demonstrates that all four Gospels were being copied and transmitted together by the third century. Its surviving passages provide early textual witnesses for each Gospel…
Date: Fourth century AD
Type: Majuscule
Vaticanus provides an extensive fourth-century witness to all four Gospels. Comparison with earlier papyri, particularly P75, demonstrates substantial continuity in the…
Date: Mid-fourth century AD
Type: Majuscule
Sinaiticus provides a complete fourth-century text of all four Gospels. Its wording can be compared with earlier papyri, Codex Vaticanus, and later Greek manuscripts. These…
Date: Third century AD
Type: Papyrus
P1 demonstrates that Matthew's genealogical introduction was already circulating in substantially recognizable form during the third century. Its surviving text provides an…
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Date: Late second to third century AD
Type: Papyrus
P4 demonstrates that important portions of Luke's opening narrative were already being copied in the early centuries of Christianity. Its text supplies an independent early…
Date: Third century AD
Type: Papyrus
P5 demonstrates that passages from different portions of John were being transmitted in the third century. Its surviving wording contributes to the cumulative evidence that…
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