Ancient Biblical Manuscripts
A simple catalogue of the 66 books of the Protestant Bible. Dates are approximate and often disputed.
Date written = estimated date of composition or final editing. Manuscript = an actual surviving copy. The named witnesses below are examples of early evidence, NOT verified earliest witnesses for every book. 'To verify' means further manuscript research is required.
Old Testament
| Book | Estimated date written | Early surviving manuscript |
|---|---|---|
| Genesis | 6th–5th c. BCE (final form) | Dead Sea Scrolls (fragments; c. 2nd–1st c. BCE) |
| Exodus | 6th–5th c. BCE (final form) | Dead Sea Scrolls (fragments; c. 2nd–1st c. BCE) |
| Leviticus | 6th–5th c. BCE (final form) | To verify (Dead Sea Scrolls or later witnesses) |
| Numbers | 6th–5th c. BCE (final form) | To verify (Dead Sea Scrolls or later witnesses) |
| Deuteronomy | 7th–5th c. BCE (layers) | To verify (Dead Sea Scrolls or later witnesses) |
| Joshua | 7th–5th c. BCE (layers) | To verify (Dead Sea Scrolls or later witnesses) |
| Judges | 7th–5th c. BCE (layers) | To verify (Dead Sea Scrolls or later witnesses) |
| Ruth | 5th–3rd c. BCE (disputed) | To verify (Dead Sea Scrolls or later witnesses) |
| 1 Samuel | 7th–6th c. BCE (core; later editing) | To verify (Dead Sea Scrolls or later witnesses) |
| 2 Samuel | 7th–6th c. BCE (core; later editing) | To verify (Dead Sea Scrolls or later witnesses) |
| 1 Kings | 7th–6th c. BCE (core; later editing) | To verify (Dead Sea Scrolls or later witnesses) |
| 2 Kings | 7th–6th c. BCE (core; later editing) | To verify (Dead Sea Scrolls or later witnesses) |
| 1 Chronicles | 4th–3rd c. BCE | To verify (Dead Sea Scrolls or later witnesses) |
| 2 Chronicles | 4th–3rd c. BCE | To verify (Dead Sea Scrolls or later witnesses) |
| Ezra | 5th–4th c. BCE | To verify (Dead Sea Scrolls or later witnesses) |
| Nehemiah | 5th–4th c. BCE | To verify (Dead Sea Scrolls or later witnesses) |
| Esther | 4th–2nd c. BCE | To verify (Dead Sea Scrolls or later witnesses) |
| Job | date disputed | To verify (Dead Sea Scrolls or later witnesses) |
| Psalms | composed and collected over centuries | To verify (Dead Sea Scrolls or later witnesses) |
| Proverbs | composed and collected over centuries | To verify (Dead Sea Scrolls or later witnesses) |
| Ecclesiastes | 3rd c. BCE (often suggested) | To verify (Dead Sea Scrolls or later witnesses) |
| Song of Songs | date disputed | To verify (Dead Sea Scrolls or later witnesses) |
| Isaiah | 8th–6th c. BCE (layers) | Great Isaiah Scroll (1QIsaᵃ; c. 2nd c. BCE) |
| Jeremiah | 7th–6th c. BCE (layers) | To verify (Dead Sea Scrolls or later witnesses) |
| Lamentations | 6th–5th c. BCE | To verify (Dead Sea Scrolls or later witnesses) |
| Ezekiel | 6th c. BCE | To verify (Dead Sea Scrolls or later witnesses) |
| Daniel | 2nd c. BCE (final form) | To verify (Dead Sea Scrolls or later witnesses) |
| Hosea | 8th c. BCE (core) | To verify (Dead Sea Scrolls or later witnesses) |
| Joel | date disputed | To verify (Dead Sea Scrolls or later witnesses) |
| Amos | 8th c. BCE (core) | To verify (Dead Sea Scrolls or later witnesses) |
| Obadiah | date disputed | To verify (Dead Sea Scrolls or later witnesses) |
| Jonah | date disputed | To verify (Dead Sea Scrolls or later witnesses) |
| Micah | 8th c. BCE (core) | To verify (Dead Sea Scrolls or later witnesses) |
| Nahum | 7th c. BCE | To verify (Dead Sea Scrolls or later witnesses) |
| Habakkuk | 7th c. BCE | To verify (Dead Sea Scrolls or later witnesses) |
| Zephaniah | 7th c. BCE | To verify (Dead Sea Scrolls or later witnesses) |
| Haggai | 6th c. BCE | To verify (Dead Sea Scrolls or later witnesses) |
| Zechariah | 6th–5th c. BCE (layers) | To verify (Dead Sea Scrolls or later witnesses) |
| Malachi | 5th c. BCE | To verify (Dead Sea Scrolls or later witnesses) |
New Testament
| Book | Estimated date written | Early surviving manuscript |
|---|---|---|
| Matthew | 80–90 CE | P104 (fragment; possibly 2nd c. CE; debated) |
| Mark | 65–75 CE | P137 (fragment; late 2nd–early 3rd c. CE) |
| Luke | 80–90 CE | P4 (fragment; often dated 3rd c. CE) |
| John | 90–110 CE | P52 (fragment; 2nd–3rd c. CE; debated) |
| Acts | 80–100 CE | To verify |
| Romans | 55–58 CE | P46 (c. 2nd–3rd c. CE) |
| 1 Corinthians | 53–55 CE | P46 (c. 2nd–3rd c. CE) |
| 2 Corinthians | 55–56 CE | P46 (c. 2nd–3rd c. CE) |
| Galatians | 48–55 CE | P46 (c. 2nd–3rd c. CE) |
| Ephesians | 60–100 CE (disputed) | P46 (c. 2nd–3rd c. CE) |
| Philippians | 50–62 CE | P46 (c. 2nd–3rd c. CE) |
| Colossians | 60–90 CE (disputed) | P46 (c. 2nd–3rd c. CE) |
| 1 Thessalonians | 50–51 CE | To verify |
| 2 Thessalonians | 50–100 CE (disputed) | To verify |
| 1 Timothy | 80–110 CE (disputed) | To verify |
| 2 Timothy | 80–110 CE (disputed) | To verify |
| Titus | 80–110 CE (disputed) | To verify |
| Philemon | 55–65 CE | To verify |
| Hebrews | 60–95 CE | P46 (c. 2nd–3rd c. CE) |
| James | 50–100 CE | To verify |
| 1 Peter | 60–100 CE | To verify |
| 2 Peter | 100–150 CE | To verify |
| 1 John | 90–110 CE | To verify |
| 2 John | 90–110 CE | To verify |
| 3 John | 90–110 CE | To verify |
| Jude | 60–110 CE | To verify |
| Revelation | 90–100 CE | To verify |
Research Sources
Note: This is a complete 66-book draft, not a fully source-verified list of the earliest manuscript for every book.