The New Testament

& Ancient Writings

SCTR 19 – Felix Just, S.J.

 New Testament Overview
NT Content:
 27 “books” (incl. many letters)
 All originally written in Greek
 Later translations: Latin, etc.
Composition History:
 Jesus’ Life/Death/Resurr. (ca. 30)
 Apostolic Preaching: Oral Traditions
 Early Written Sources (30’s? 50’s?)
 Letters/Epistles (50’s – 110’s?)
 Full Gospels (late 60’s – 90’s?)
 Collections (1st – 3rd Cent.)
 Canonization (late 4th Cent.)
 NT Structure & Genres
Four “Gospels” (Euangelion, lit. “good news”)
 Canonical Order: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John (but Mark is oldest)
One “Acts” of the Apostles
 Vol. 2 of Luke’s work (traveling companion of Paul?)
Twenty-One “Letters” or “Epistles”
 “Pauline Letters” – attributed to Paul of Tarsus
 Named after Communities & Individuals TO WHOM written
 7 “Undisputed” & 6 “Disputed”
 Hebrews – vaguely Pauline; not really a “letter” but a sermon
 “Catholic/General Epistles” – attribute to other apostles
 James; 1 Peter; 2 Peter; 1 John; 2 John; 3 John; Jude
One “Apocalypse” = Book of Revelation (singular!)
 Non-canonical Christian Writings
“Apocryphal” works – not accepted into NT Canon
 Why not? – written later; different theology; used by heretical groups?
 More “Gospels”: Gosp. of Thomas, of Peter, of Judas, etc.
 More “Acts”: Acts of Paul, of Peter, of Thomas, etc.
 More “Apocalypses”: Apoc. of John, of Peter, etc.
“Patristic” works – also not in NT, but different reasons
 Why not? – not “apostolic” (i.e., written later, but theology acceptable)
 More “Letters/Epistles”: by Barnabas, Clement, Ignatius of Antioch, etc.
 More “Homilies/Sermons”: by later bishops & teachers
 Other Genres: Biblical commentaries; theological treatises; etc.
 4th & 5th Cent. “Creeds”: summary statements of Christian beliefs
 Ancient Writing Materials
Papyrus (reed plant)
 Cut in strips, flattened
 Less expensive, durable
 www.earlham.edu/~seidti/iam/papyrus.html
Vellum / Parchment
 Animal skins, prepared
 More expensive, durable
 www.earlham.edu/~seidti/iam/parchment.html

Other Materials: Stone, Clay, Wood, etc.

 Ancient Writing Format
Scroll
 Rolled, sealed on outside
 Written on one side only
 Papyrus or Vellum
 www.earlham.edu/~seidti/iam/roll.html
Codex
 Sheets stacked, bound
 Written on both sides
 Papyrus or Vellum
 www.earlham.edu/~seidti/iam/codex.html
Ancient Scrolls
Pompeii: Wall Painting
 Prior to AD 79 (when
Pompeii was buried by
lava from Mt. Vesuvius)

 Girl reading a scroll

(a letter or short book).

 Seated woman with a

scroll in her left hand.
Ancient Writing
Ancient Wall Painting
 Woman holding a book
and a writing stylus
 Biblical Texts
Pre-Constantine Era (1st – 3rd Cent.)
 Christians were poor, persecuted, minority
 NT texts: only few papyrus scraps survive
Emperor Constantine
 Edict of Milan (312 C.E.)
 Imperial support of Christianity
 Construction of Churches
 Full Bible Codices on Vellum
some survive from 4th / 5th Cent.:
 Codex Sinaiticus

 Codex Vaticanus

 Codex Alexandrinus, etc.

 Writing Styles
Manuscripts
 Lit. “hand-written”
 Majuscule (ALLCAPSNOSPACES)
 Minuscule (lower case, punctuation)
Printing
 First: carved wood blocks
 Moveable type: ~1453
Johannes Gutenberg
 P52 - Oldest NT fragment
Ca. 125 – 150 C.E. (now in John Rylands Library, Manchester)
 kchanson.com/ANCDOCS/greek/johnpap.html
 front: John 18:31-33 back: John 18:37-38
P75
Papyrus Bodmer XV
 Ca. 175 – 225 C.E.
 End of Luke & Start of John;
both on same page!
(so Luke/Acts separated)
P46
Oldest manuscript of the
Pauline letters.
 Originally part of the
Chester Beatty Papyri
 Written ca. AD 200
 Total of 104 pages, but
several are now missing
 Included at least ten of
the Pauline letters
 This image shows the
text of 2 Cor 11:33–12:9