Oldest Bible in World, Codex Sinaiticus, Goes Virtual
"The Codex Sinaiticus is one of the world's greatest written treasures. This 1,600-year-old manuscript offers a window into the development of early Christianity and firsthand evidence of how the text of the Bible was transmitted from generation to generation."
Reuters reports that the surviving parts of the world's oldest Bible went virtual this week, "generating excitement among scholars striving to unlock its mysteries."
According to the report, The Codex Sinaiticus was handwritten by four scribes in Greek on velum around the time of Roman emperor Constantine the Great. (Photo: CodexSinaiticus.us)
"The Codex Sinaiticus is one of the world's greatest written treasures," said Scot McKendrick, head of Western manuscripts at the British Library. "This 1,600-year-old manuscript offers a window into the development of early Christianity and firsthand evidence of how the text of the Bible was transmitted from generation to generation," he said.
"Critically, it marks the definite triumph of bound codices over (papyrus) scrolls—a key watershed in how the Christian Bible was regarded as a sacred text."
The Codex, including some English and modern Greek translations, can be viewed for free online at www.codexsinaiticus.org/en/.
