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Ancient Biblical Manuscripts
This page compares the estimated dates of biblical composition with the earliest surviving manuscript evidence. Dates are approximate and sometimes disputed.
Important: Composition date means when a text was originally written or compiled. Manuscript date means when a surviving physical copy was produced. These are not the same.
Old Testament / Hebrew Bible
The oldest surviving biblical textual witnesses include the Ketef Hinnom silver amulets (approximately 7th–6th century BCE), containing wording similar to the priestly blessing in Numbers 6. They are inscriptions, not complete biblical books.
| Book or text | Estimated composition | Early surviving evidence | Date of evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Numbers (priestly blessing) | Numbers compiled over centuries; final form often dated to the Persian period or later | Ketef Hinnom amulets (parallel wording) | c. 7th–6th century BCE |
| Isaiah | Material from c. 8th century BCE onward; later editing | Great Isaiah Scroll (1QIsaᵃ) | c. 2nd century BCE |
| Psalms | Composed and collected across many centuries | Dead Sea Scrolls fragments | c. 2nd–1st century BCE |
| Genesis | Composite text; final editing often placed in the 1st millennium BCE | Dead Sea Scrolls fragments | c. 2nd–1st century BCE |
| Deuteronomy | Core often associated with c. 7th century BCE; later editing | Dead Sea Scrolls fragments | c. 2nd–1st century BCE |
Important: The Dead Sea Scrolls contain portions of nearly every book of the Hebrew Bible, but preservation and dating vary by manuscript. This is a selection, not a complete inventory.
New Testament
| Book | Estimated composition | Early surviving evidence | Date of evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Thessalonians | c. 50–51 CE | Codex Vaticanus (among early extensive witnesses) | 4th century CE |
| 1 Corinthians | c. 53–55 CE | Papyrus 46 (P46) | c. 2nd–3rd century CE |
| Gospel of Mark | c. 65–75 CE | Papyrus 137 (P137) | c. 2nd–3rd century CE |
| Gospel of Matthew | c. 80–90 CE | Papyrus 104 (P104) | c. 2nd century CE (dating debated) |
| Gospel of Luke | c. 80–90 CE | Papyrus 4 (P4), dating debated | c. 3rd century CE |
| Gospel of John | c. 90–100 CE | Papyrus 52 (P52) | c. 2nd–3rd century CE |
Major Collections
| Discovery / manuscript | Contents | Approximate date |
|---|---|---|
| Dead Sea Scrolls | Hebrew Bible texts and other Jewish writings | c. 3rd century BCE–1st century CE |
| Papyrus 46 | Collection of Pauline letters | c. 2nd–3rd century CE |
| Papyrus 66 | Much of the Gospel of John | c. 2nd–4th century CE (debated) |
| Codex Vaticanus | Extensive Greek Bible manuscript | 4th century CE |
| Codex Sinaiticus | Extensive Greek Bible manuscript, including complete New Testament | 4th century CE |
Research Notes
- Manuscripts are physical copies, not necessarily the original writings.
- A manuscript fragment may contain only a few verses, not an entire book.
- Dates based on handwriting (palaeography) usually represent ranges, not exact years.
- A manuscript's survival does not by itself prove that the events described in it happened.