How can we know that the Gospels we read today preserve the accounts that circulated among the earliest Christians? The answer begins with the remarkable body of ancient written evidence that has survived.
Fragments of papyrus, substantial Gospel books, great parchment codices, ancient translations, and quotations by early Christian writers allow us to compare the text of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John across many centuries. These witnesses do not agree in every detail, but their similarities and differences can be examined directly, and can provide compelling evidence to both scholars and seekers that our modern gospel records have survived the journey through the cent.
The thirteen investigations presented here explain how these manuscripts were produced, discovered, dated, and compared, and why they provide substantial grounds for confidence in the preservation of the Gospel text. Explore the investigations below to learn more.
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Examine 25 important surviving witnesses to the Gospels, from early papyrus fragments to the great biblical codices. Discover their dates, contents, physical characteristics, and significance for understanding how the Gospel texts have been preserved through the centuries.
Explore the 25 Manuscripts »Follow the studies in order, or choose the question that interests you most.
After examining the earliest fragments, substantial papyrus codices, great biblical manuscripts, ancient translations, and quotations by Christian writers, we can return to the central question: How faithfully…
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