Codex Bezae. Christian Works There are half-a-dozen ancient manuscripts which are the foundation of our understanding of the text of the New Testament writings. Among these stands the copy known since the sixteenth century as Codex Bezae Cantabrigiensis. Any manuscript which has survived from antiquity is a marvel for this reason alone, and as we explore its pages, we have a rare opportunity to explore a little of the written culture of late antique Christianity. Although in the past century some remarkable papyrus manuscripts have been recovered from the sands of Egypt, their discovery has in general served more to highlight the significance of the parchment manuscripts than to diminish it.
Among this group, Codex Bezae occupies a unique place for several reasons. The manuscript is the work of a single scribe, one trained primarily to copy Latin texts. The manuscript is best dated to the end of the fourth or the beginning of the fifth century. Editions: NEH Ancient Near East and Classics Project. Polonsky Foundation Digitization Project. Dead Sea Scrolls - Digital library. Early Christian Writings: New Testament, Apocrypha, Gnostics, Church Fathers. Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative. ETANA. Codex Sinaiticus.