Our Greek Sources
Ever wondered what happened to the original Christian writings? While we don’t have the actual documents penned by the apostles, we do have some incredibly ancient copies! Our translation primarily relies on two of the oldest and most complete Greek manuscripts: the Codex Vaticanus and Codex Sinaiticus.
These remarkable documents, dating from the 300s (the 4th century AD), represent our earliest complete copies of most Christian Era books.
Our Primary Greek Sources
Codex Vaticanus
The Codex Vaticanus is our star player! Why? Because it’s:
- One of the oldest complete manuscripts (around AD 325-350).
- Generally considered the most reliable Greek text.
- Free from many later alterations found in younger manuscripts.
- Missing Revelation and parts of Hebrews (but that’s okay - we’ve got backup!).
Codex Sinaiticus
When Vaticanus isn’t available, we turn to its equally ancient cousin, Sinaiticus. This remarkable manuscript:
- Dates to around the same period (AD 330-360).
- Contains all Christian Era books.
- Shows some corrections and alterations by various ancient scribes.
Timeline of Our Greek Manuscripts
Ancient History (300s AD)
- Around AD 325-350: Codex Vaticanus is produced, possibly in Alexandria, Egypt.
- Around AD 330-360: Codex Sinaiticus is created, possibly at Caesarea Maritima.
- Both codices are written on high-quality vellum in a professional scriptorial setting.
- They represent some of the earliest examples of complete codex format books.
The Journey of Vaticanus
- 300s-1400s: Early history unknown.
- 1475: First documented appearance in Vatican Library catalog.
- 1669: First scholarly reference by Bartolocci.
- 1809: Brought to Paris by Napoleon’s forces.
- 1815: Returned to Vatican after Napoleon’s defeat.
- 1889-1890: First complete photographic facsimile published.
- 1999: High-resolution digital images made available online.
The Journey of Sinaiticus
- 1844: Tischendorf discovers 43 leaves at St. Catherine’s Monastery.
- 1853: Second visit yields no new findings.
- 1859: During third visit, discovers main portion of the manuscript.
- 1862: Presented to Russian Tsar Alexander II.
- 1933: Purchased by Britain from Soviet Union for £100,000.
- 1938: Placed in British Museum.
- 2009: Digital Sinaiticus Project launches complete online version.
- Today: Portions held in four countries (Britain, Germany, Russia, and Egypt).
What’s in a Name?
You might be wondering about the names of these manuscripts.
Why ‘Vaticanus’?
The Codex Vaticanus gets its name simply from where it was found - the Vatican Library.
But here’s the funny part: it was just sitting there in their catalog since at least 1475, largely ignored! It wasn’t produced by the Catholic Church - they just happened to have it in their collection. In fact, nobody knows exactly how it got there.
Why ‘Sinaiticus’?
The Sinaiticus has an even more interesting story. It’s named after where it was discovered, at what is traditionally believed to be the site of Mount Sinai. The manuscript was found by scholar Constantin von Tischendorf in 1844, with parts of it literally rescued from a basket of papers that were going to be burned for heating!
These names are only about location; it’s like finding an ancient book in New York and calling it the ‘New York Manuscript.’ It’s got nothing to do with who originally created these texts or their early history.
Why These Sources?
You might be wondering: ‘Why these manuscripts when there are thousands of others?’ Here’s our reasoning:
Age Matters!
These codices are the oldest complete copies we have. Like time machines, they take us back to a period before many later changes crept into the text. The older the manuscript, the fewer copies stand between it and the original - meaning fewer opportunities for errors to slip in!
Quality Counts
Both manuscripts show signs of being copied from even earlier, high-quality sources. Their careful production and preservation suggest they were considered authoritative texts in their time.
Simplicity and Transparency
Other Bibles may cherry-pick from dozens of different manuscripts to create their translations. However, this means that you, the reader, don’t really know which manuscript they used in what place, and they often don’t tell you why they chose one over the other.
By keeping it simple, you always know which manuscript we used in what place, and why we chose one over the other:
- The Codex Vaticanus is our primary source for the Christian Era books.
- The Codex Sinaiticus fills in any gaps in the Vaticanus text.
- Where the Aramaic sources disagree with the Greek, we use the Aramaic readings (learn why) and mark it with the symbol [Ar.], and perhaps with a translator note.
Now everybody knows exactly what sources we used, and why.