Manuscripts and Codices

Before the printing press, the Bible was transmitted through thousands of hand-copied manuscripts, on papyrus and then on parchment, first as scrolls and then as codices. This theme immerses the reader in the fascinating material history of the biblical text: how these documents were produced, preserved, rediscovered and analyzed by scholars.

The related articles explore the great families of manuscripts, the textual differences between them, and the methods of textual criticism that make it possible to trace back to the original text. They also discuss major archaeological discoveries that have renewed the understanding of certain passages.

This path will be of particular interest to those who wonder on what basis the reliability of modern translations rests, and how researchers assess the transmission of the Scriptures through the centuries. A concrete look at the road the Word of God has traveled to reach us.

Study 1 of 2 · The Search for Manuscripts

Study 1: The Search for Manuscripts
Study 2: The Dead Sea Scrolls

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