350 ADCode: אKoine Greek
Codex Sinaiticus
The world’s oldest surviving complete copy of the Christian New Testament, handwritten on animal parchment.
Historical Sources & Antecedents
What Texts and Translations Did This Version Use?
The foundational manuscripts, earlier translations, and polyglots consulted during compilation.
This is an original manuscript or ancient textual witness with no prior recorded translation parent.
Subsequent Lineage & Revisions
Who In The Future Used This Translation?
Modern revisions, authorized successors, and descendants shaped by this text.
Curatorial Commentary
Historical Context & Textual Significance
Penned in the mid-4th century, Sinaiticus was preserved for centuries in Saint Catherine's Monastery at the foot of Mount Sinai until brought to light by German scholar Constantin von Tischendorf in the mid-19th century. Written in four columns per page on high-grade parchment, it contains over 23,000 corrections made by scribes between the 4th and 12th centuries.
Textual Legacy & Impact:
Contains the oldest complete New Testament in existence; transformed modern Bible translation and textual criticism.
Where Can You View Original Surviving Copies Today?
Known physical copies preserved in world archives and library vaults.
British Library, London
St. Catherine Monastery, Sinai
National Library of Russia, St. Petersburg