Researchers Discover 'Breakthrough' Manuscripts by Apostle Paul

Tré Goins-Phillips : May 5, 2026
Faithwire

"Given that Codex H is such an important witness to our understanding of Christian Scripture, to have discovered any new evidence—let alone this quantity—of what it originally looked like is nothing short of monumental." -lead professor Garrick Allen.

[Faithwire.com] Researchers backed by the University of Glasgow have discovered dozens of previously lost pages from one of the earliest manuscripts of New Testament writings by the Apostle Paul. (Image: Unsplash-worshae)

The unearthed documents—42 pages in all—shed new light on how early Christians may have studied Scripture. The writings are part of Codex H, a sixth-century Greek manuscript containing Paul's letters, according to an announcement from the university's research team.

"The breakthrough came from an important starting point," explained lead professor Garrick Allen. "We knew that, at one point, the manuscript was re-inked. The chemicals in the new ink caused 'offset' damage to facing pages, essentially creating a mirror image of the text on the opposite leaf—sometimes leaving traces several pages deep, barely visible to the naked eye but very clear with latest imaging techniques."

The manuscript, known as GA 015, was taken apart in the 13th century at a monastery on Mount Athos. A common practice at the time, the parchment pages were repurposed as binding for other books and, as a result, pieces of the manuscript ended up scattered throughout libraries across Europe, many believing they were lost forever.

One of the most stunning findings in the uncovered texts were some of the earliest-recorded chapter lists, which differ significantly from the way Believers divide the Bible today... Subscribe for free to Breaking Christian News here

Continue reading Here.