What Is the Oldest Manuscript of the Bible?
Quick Summary
The oldest known manuscripts of the Bible include the Dead Sea Scrolls (dated from the 3rd century BCE to 1st century CE) for the Old Testament, and Papyrus P52 (c. 125 CE) for the New Testament. These ancient texts offer invaluable insight into the Bible’s early transmission and reliability.
Introduction
When we open a Bible today, we’re reading words that have passed through centuries of copying, translation, and preservation. But what are the earliest physical remnants we have of these sacred writings? Scholars and archaeologists have unearthed fragments and scrolls that take us remarkably close to the original writings. These ancient manuscripts help verify the accuracy and faithfulness of the biblical text we hold today.
The Oldest Old Testament Manuscripts
1. The Dead Sea Scrolls (c. 250 BCE – 70 CE)
Discovered between 1947 and 1956 in caves near Qumran by the Dead Sea.
Includes over 200 scrolls and fragments of the Hebrew Bible, representing every Old Testament book except Esther.
The Great Isaiah Scroll (1QIsaa) is nearly complete and dates to about 125 BCE.
These texts are about 1,000 years older than the previously known Hebrew manuscripts, such as the Aleppo Codex(c. 930 CE) and the Leningrad Codex (1008 CE).
Citation: Tov, Emanuel. Textual Criticism of the Hebrew Bible. 3rd ed., Fortress Press, 2011, pp. 107–120.
2. Nash Papyrus (c. 150–100 BCE)
Contains a portion of the Ten Commandments and the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4–5).
Found in Egypt; was the oldest known Hebrew Bible manuscript before the Dead Sea Scrolls.
📚 Citation: Cross, Frank Moore. The Ancient Library of Qumran. 3rd ed., Fortress Press, 1995, pp. 54–56.
The Oldest New Testament Manuscript
1. Papyrus P52 (Rylands Library Papyrus 457) (c. 125–150 CE)
Contains a few verses from John 18:31–33, 37–38.
About the size of a credit card but extremely significant—this fragment pushes the date of New Testament textual transmission to within a generation of the original writings.
Citation: Comfort, Philip W., and David P. Barrett. The Text of the Earliest New Testament Greek Manuscripts. Tyndale House, 2001, pp. 17–18.
2. Other Notable Early New Testament Manuscripts
P46 (c. 200 CE): Contains much of Paul’s epistles.
P66 (c. 200 CE): Contains most of the Gospel of John.
P75 (c. 175–225 CE): Contains parts of Luke and John.
These early manuscripts confirm the widespread circulation and early stability of the New Testament text.
Citation: Metzger, Bruce M., and Bart D. Ehrman. The Text of the New Testament: Its Transmission, Corruption, and Restoration. 4th ed., Oxford University Press, 2005, pp. 58–66.
Why It Matters
These manuscripts are the closest we can get to the original biblical writings. They allow scholars to reconstruct the text with remarkable accuracy. Far from being lost or corrupted over time, the Bible’s textual history reveals careful transmission and deep reverence by ancient communities.
