There are thousands of Greek New Testament manuscripts, hundreds of which are from the earliest centuries, so this list is far from exhaustive. Indeed, it barely scratches the surface. Still, it is helpful to familiarize ourselves with some of the copies that come up most often in text-critical discussions and some that provide especially early attestation of particular New Testament books.
Date | Name | Abbreviation | Comments |
Second Century | John Rylands Papyrus P52 | P52 | Small fragment from John’s Gospel Usually dated around 125 AD, making it the oldest known manuscript |
Second Century | Papyrus 90 | P90 | Small fragment of John’s Gospel dated to the late 2nd century |
Second Century | Papyrus 104 | P104 | Small fragment of the Matthew |
Late 2nd/Early 3rd Century | Papyrus 4 | P4 | Early fragments containing portions of Luke 1-6 Considered by many scholars to be part of the same manuscript as P64 and P67 |
Late 2nd/Early 3rd Century | Papyrus 64 | P64 | Early fragments containing portions of Matthew 3-5 Considered by many scholars to be part of the same manuscript as P4 and P67 |
Late 2nd/Early 3rd Century | Papyrus 67 | P67 | Early fragments containing portions of Matthew 25-26 Considered by many scholars to be part of the same manuscript as P64 and P4 |
Late 2nd/Early 3rd Century | Uncial 0189 | 0189 | Small fragment of the Book of Acts |
Late 2nd/Early 3rd Century | Papyrus 66 | P66 | Fragmentary copy of the Gospel of John |
Late 2nd/Early 3rd Century | Papyrus 46 | P46 | Contains portions of most of Paul’s letters Includes the Book of Hebrews |
Late 2nd/Early 3rd Century | Papyrus 75 | P75 | Contains large portions of Luke and John |
Late 2nd/Early 3rd Century | Papyrus 20 | P20 | Small fragment of the Book of James |
Late 2nd/Early 3rd Century | Papyrus 98 | P98 | Small fragment of Revelation |
3rd Century | Papyrus 45 | P45 | Contains portions of each of the four gospels and of Acts Oldest surviving manuscript of the Gospel of Mark |
3rd Century | Papyrus 47 | P47 | Contains significant portion of Revelation |
Late 3rd/Early Fourth Century | Uncial 0171 | 0171 | Contains Portions of Matthew and Luke |
Late 3rd/Early Fourth Century | Papyrus 115 | P115 | Contains significant portion of Revelation |
Late 3rd/Early Fourth Century | Papyrus 72 | P72 | Contains 1 & 2 Peter and Jude |
Late 3rd/Early Fourth Century | Papyrus 100 | P100 | Fragment of the Book of James |
Fourth Century | Codex Sinaiticus | א | Contains the entire New Testament |
Fourth Century | Codex Vaticanus | B | Contains the majority of the New Testament |
Late Fourth/Early Fifth Century | Codex Washintonianus | W | Contains the four Gospels |
Fifth Century | Codex Alexandrinus | A | Contains the entire New Testament |
Fifth Century | Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus | C | Contains the entire New Testament Manuscript is a palimpsest (original text was erased and the pages reused, though technology allows us to see the original). |
Fifth Century | Codex Freerianus | I | Contains the Pauline Epistles |
Fifth Century | Codex Guelferbytanus B | Q | Contains portions of Luke and John |
Fifth Century | Codex Borgianus | T | Contains portions of Luke and John Has the text in both Greek and Sahidic Coptic |
Fifth Century | Uncial 048 | 048 | Contains Acts, the Pauline Epistles, and the General Epistles |
Fifth Century | Codex Bezae Cantabrigensis | D | Contains the Gospels and Acts Has the text in both Latin and Greek, in parallel columns Shares an abbreviation with Codex Claromontanus |
Sixth Century | Codex Claromontanus | D | Contains the Pauline Epistles Has the text in both Latin and Greek, in parallel columns Shares an abbreviation with Codex Bezae Cantabrigensis |
Sixth Century | Codex Laudianus | E | Contains the Book of Acts Shares an abbreviation with Codex Basilensis |
Sixth Century | Codex Coislinianus | H | Contains the Pauline Epistles Shares an abbreviation with Codex Seidelianus II and Codex Mutinensis |
Sixth Century | Codex Petropolitanus Purpureus | N | Contains the Gospels The pages of this manuscript were decoratively dyed purple |
Sixth Century | Codex Sinopensis | O | Contains Matthew In addition to the text, this manuscript also contained illustrations. |
Sixth Century | Codex Nitriensis | R | Contains Luke Manuscript is a palimpsest (original text was erased and the pages reused, though technology allows us to see the original). |
Eighth Century | Codex Regius | L | Contains the Gospels Shares an abbreviation with Codex Angelicus |
Eighth Century | Uncial 047 | 047 | Contains the Gospels |
Eighth Century | Codex Basilensis | E | Contains the Gospels Shares an abbreviation with Codex Laudianus |
Ninth Century | Codex Boreelianus | F | Contains the Gospels Shares an abbreviation with Codex Augiensis |
Ninth Century | Codex Augiensis | F | Contains the Pauline Epistles Has the text in both Latin and Greek, in parallel columns Shares an abbreviation with Codex Boreelianus |
Ninth Century | Codex Seidelianus II | H | Contains the Gospels Shares an abbreviation with Codex Coislinianus and Codex Mutinensis |
Ninth Century | Codex Mutinensis | H | Contains the Book of Acts Some significant gaps in the text due to damamge Shares an abbreviation with Codex Coislinianus and Codex Seidelianus II |
Ninth Century | Codex Angelicus | L | Contains most of the Book of Acts, the General Epistles, and the Book of Romans Shares an abbreviation with Codex Regius |
Ninth Century | Codex Sangellensis | Δ | Contains the Gospels Contains the text in both Greek and Latin |
Ninth Century | Codex Coridethianus | Θ | Contains the Gospels |
Ninth Century | Codex Petropolitanus | Π | Contains the Gospels There are numerous gaps in the text due to damage |
14th/15th Century | Minuscule 629 | 629 | Contains the entire New Testament Has the text in both Latin and Greek The Greek text appears to have been shaped by the Latin Earliest manuscript to contain the Comma Johanneum of 1 John 5:7-8 in the Greek text |
16th Century | Codex Montfortianus | 61 | Contains the entire New Testament Manuscript cited by Erasmus in his decision to add the Comma Johanneum of 1 John 5:7-8 Erasmus called this manuscript Codex Britannicus |