Category Archives: Codices

A New Article on Palaeographic Dating of Codices

Posted on August 18, 2019 by Brent Nongbri

The latest issue of Journal for the Study of the New Testament contains a group of articles that emerged from an SBL session in 2016 arranged by Roberta Mazza on problems of dating ancient manuscripts. In addition to Roberta’s introductory … Continue reading →

Posted in Codices, Codicology, Palaeography | 5 Comments

The Date of P.Köln 10.406 (P118)

Posted on May 23, 2019 by Brent Nongbri

One of the habits of papyrologists and New Testament scholars that I’ve tried to highlight over the last decade is the practice of dating the handwriting of ancient manuscripts by comparing them to other samples of handwriting that are themselves … Continue reading →

Posted in Codices, P.Bodmer II, Palaeography | 2 Comments

P.Bodmer 58 and Ancient Instructions for Preparing Parchment

Posted on May 14, 2019 by Brent Nongbri

While the Bodmer Papyri are best known for the subset of Greek and Coptic codices that Martin Bodmer acquired from Egyptian sources through the Cypriot dealer Phocion Tano in the 1950s, there are other early Christian materials in the collection … Continue reading →

Posted in Antiquities Dealers and Collectors, Bodmer Papyri, Book binding, Codices, Monastery of Epiphanius, Thomas Phillipps | 7 Comments

Newsreel Footage of Codex Sinaiticus from 1933

Posted on February 13, 2019 by Brent Nongbri

The major portions of Codex Sinaiticus that now reside in the British Library were bound into a volume by Douglas Cockerell after the leaves were closely studied by H.J.M. Milne and T.C. Skeat in their classic book, Scribes and Correctors … Continue reading →

Posted in British Museum, Codex Sinaiticus, Codices, Videos | 5 Comments

On the Dispersion of Libraries

Posted on December 26, 2018 by Brent Nongbri

I’ve had the break-up of libraries on my mind lately for several reasons. At one level, this phenomenon is never far from my thoughts. For years now, I’ve been working on the somewhat scrappy remains of what must have been … Continue reading →

Posted in Chester Beatty Papyri, Chester Beatty Pauline Epistles, Codices, Oxyrhynchus Papyri | 10 Comments

Ryan Kaufman on the Ending of John 20 in P.Bodmer 2

Posted on December 11, 2018 by Brent Nongbri

In a paper recently posted to academia.edu, Ryan Kaufman engages with some of my hypotheses about the ending of the Gospel According to John in P.Bodmer 2. His suggestions are excellent and in fact offer a simpler explanation for some … Continue reading →

Posted in Bodmer Papyri, Codices, Codicology, P.Bodmer II | 6 Comments

Once More: An Oxyrhynchus Papyrus of Exodus and Revelation, Part 2

Posted on December 4, 2018 by Brent Nongbri

In my previous post, I reviewed a recent article by Scott Charlesworth on British Library Pap. 2053, a papyrus from Oxyrhynchus with the ending of Exodus on one side (P.Oxy. 8.1075) and the opening verses of Revelation on its reverse … Continue reading →

Posted in Codices, Oxyrhynchus Papyri | 4 Comments

Once More: An Oxyrhynchus Papyrus of Exodus and Revelation, Part 1

Posted on December 2, 2018 by Brent Nongbri

Among the Christian papyri from Oxyrhynchus is an interesting piece now in the British Library (Pap. 2053) that contains the final verses of Exodus in Greek with an end title (P.Oxy. 8.1075) and on the reverse, in a different script, … Continue reading →

Posted in Bodmer composite codex, Codices, Oxyrhynchus Papyri, Scott Charlesworth | 3 Comments

Palaeography and Codices: A Couple Thoughts on Larry Hurtado’s Review of God’s Library

Posted on November 13, 2018 by Brent Nongbri

Over on his blog, Larry Hurtado has posted a detailed review of God’s Library. Early on in the book, I mention three of the main scholars who paved the way for those of us working on early Christian manuscripts today: … Continue reading →

Posted in Codices, Palaeography | 2 Comments

Manufacturing Square Papyrus Codices: Two Ways to Cut the Roll

Posted on November 4, 2018 by Brent Nongbri

When trying to understand the process of making small format papyrus codices, it is sometimes tricky to figure out how the papyrus bifolia were cut from the roll. For books that are more tall and narrow, like the Nag Hammadi … Continue reading →

Posted in Berlin Coptic Proverbs Codex, Bodmer composite codex, Bodmer Papyri, Codices, Codicology | 2 Comments