Codex Vaticanus

Codex Vaticanus, or B, is the earliest Greek manuscript of the Bible still in existence today. It was created in the first half of the fourth century (early AD 300s). It may have been produced in Egypt. It first appears in the catalog of the Vatican Library in Rome in 1475. The codex is written in uncial text on 759 leaves of vellum. Vaticanus is the single most influential Biblical manuscript. The complete text was published in 1857 and a facsimile was published in 1889-1890.^[1]

In 1881, Cambridge scholars B. F Westcott and F. J. A. Hort used Vaticanus as a basis for a Greek text of the New Testament, now called the Westcott-Hort or Alexandrian, text. Some parts of Vaticanus are missing or damaged. Hebrews ends at 9:14 and the Pastorals, Philemon, and Revelation are missing. Westcott and Hort used Codex Sinaiticus, an uncial manuscript nearly as old as Vaticanus, to fill in these gaps. Revelation was taken from Codex Alexandrinus, a fifth century uncial. In more recent times, the Biblical quotations used by the church fathers have been cataloged and papyrus scrolls of various New Testament books have been found. Both of these sources are older than the uncial manuscripts. Yet they tend to confirm the validity of the Westcott-Hort text.

Omitted, and thus probably not authentic, are about 20 short passages or verses included in the KJV before the discovery of the Codex Vaticanus and other early manuscripts:

• Matthew 12:47 (a repetitive verse in the KJV; omitted from the precise, more recent ESV)
• Matthew 16:2b–3 (ESV denotes with a footnote as sometimes omitted)
• Matthew 17:21 (an awkward phrase in the KJV; omitted from the precise, more recent ESV)
• Matthew 18:11 - "For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost." (KJV) (doubtful theologically also)
• Matthew 23:14
• Mark 7:16
• Mark 9:44
• Mark 9:46
• Mark 11:26
• Mark 15:28
• Mark 16:9–20
• Luke 17:36
• Luke 22:43–44
• John 5:4
• John 7:53-8:12 (Adulteress Story - ESV states "The earliest manuscripts do not include 7:53–8:11")
• Acts 8:37
• Acts 15:34
• Acts 24:7
• Acts 28:29
• Romans 16:24

• The Gospels
• Dead Sea Scrolls
• John Rylands Fragment
• Textus Receptus
• Codex Sinaiticus

• N.T. Ancient Manuscripts
• Codex Vaticanus Catholic Encyclopedia.

↑ "Bible (texts)," New Catholic Encyclopedia (2003)