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.
Date: Third century AD
Type: Papyrus
P22 supplies an independent third-century witness to the farewell discourse in John. Its correspondence with later manuscripts contributes to the evidence that these…
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Date: Late second to third century AD
Type: Papyrus
P64 and P67 provide early physical witnesses to Matthew. They preserve recognizable passages from the beginning, middle, and final portion of the Gospel. Comparison with…
Date: Second century AD
Type: Papyrus
P90 provides an independent early witness to John's Passion narrative. Together with P52 and later substantial manuscripts, it demonstrates the antiquity and continued…
Date: Second century AD
Type: Papyrus
P104 provides an early physical witness to Matthew's account of Jesus' Jerusalem ministry. Its surviving wording can be compared with later manuscripts, contributing to the…
Date: Third century AD
Type: Papyrus
P106 supplies a third-century witness to John's opening chapter. Its agreement with other manuscripts in much of the surviving text supports continuity in the transmission of…
Date: Late second to early third century AD
Type: Papyrus
P137 provides early physical evidence for the transmission of Mark. When considered alongside P45 and the great fourth-century codices, it contributes to a chronological…
Date: Fifth century AD
Type: Majuscule
Alexandrinus provides an extensive fifth-century witness to the Gospel text. Its substantial agreement with earlier manuscripts supports continuity in transmission, while its…
Date: Fifth century AD; later dating also proposed
Type: Majuscule
Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus provides another substantial early witness to the four Gospels. Its recovered text allows comparison with other ancient manuscripts, supporting the…
Date: Late fourth to fifth century AD
Type: Majuscule
Codex Bezae demonstrates that the Gospel texts were transmitted in both Greek and Latin during late antiquity. Its distinctive readings provide important comparative…
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