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c. AD 175–300 · The Manuscript Witnesses

The Early Papyri

Documented
The Early Papyri
University of Michigan (Papyrus 46), Public domain — source

After P52 come the great early papyrus codices — the Chester Beatty and Bodmer collections. P46, from about AD 200, carries most of Paul's letters; P66 and P75, from around AD 175–225, preserve long stretches of John and Luke. They are damaged and incomplete, but they let scholars read the New Testament text as it stood only a century or so after it was first written.

  • Chester Beatty: P45 (Gospels & Acts), P46 (Paul's letters, ~AD 200), P47 (Revelation).
  • Bodmer: P66 (most of John) and P75 (Luke and John), ~AD 175–225.
What the evidence showsSubstantial portions of the Gospels and Paul's letters were being copied in recognizable form by around AD 200.
Where it stopsEvery one is partial and damaged — no early papyrus contains a whole New Testament book intact, and they still differ from one another in the details.
Sources & further reading
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