Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts
Encyclopedia
The Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts (CSNTM) is a non-profit organization set out to preserve ancient manuscripts of the Christian Scriptures New Testament
. This aim is accomplished by taking high resolution digital photographs of all extant Greek New Testament manuscripts. The organization was founded by Daniel B. Wallace
, a professor at Dallas Theological Seminary
, in Texas on September 13, 2002, and acts under the umbrella of The Center for the Research of Early Christian Documents (CRECD). Daniel Wallace is the executive director of CSNTM.
Wallace has said the goal of the center is to photograph 1.3 million leaves of Greek New Testament manuscripts, and estimates this goal will not be reached until 2020. The CSNTM team has already photographed manuscripts in Constantinople at the Ecumenical Patriarchate of the Orthodox Church; the Institut für neutestamentliche Textforschung (INTF) in Münster, Germany; Tübingen University, Germany; the Monastery of St. John the Theologian on the island of Patmos, Greece; the National Archive in Tirana, Albania; the University of Michigan; several colleges at Cambridge University; University of Glasgow; and a few other sites. Wallace has also examined manuscripts in Vienna, Cologne, Florence, Berlin, at St. Catherine’s Monastery (Sinai), The Vatican
, Cambridge University, Oxford University, the University of Dresden, Harvard University
, the British Library, and several other sites.
The activity of CSNTM is limited by several reasons, including international law, finances and the traditional thinking of the other institutions. In spite of these difficulties CSNTM has photographed:
Although the primary focus of the CSNTM is digital preservation of New Testament manuscripts, it also works with printed books related to textual criticism such as von Soden's Greek New Testament ("Die Schriften des Neuen Testaments, in ihrer ältesten erreichbaren Textgestalt hergestellt auf Grund ihrer Textgeschichte," Verlag von Arthur Glaue, Berlin 1902-1910). CSNTM holds also at least one manuscript of New Testament, Gregory-Aland minuscule 2882, a 10th-11th century copy of Luke’s Gospel.
CSNTM does not charge the institutes that own NT MSS for the digital photography; as a non-profit organization, CSNTM is dependent on the donations of individuals and foundations.
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
. This aim is accomplished by taking high resolution digital photographs of all extant Greek New Testament manuscripts. The organization was founded by Daniel B. Wallace
Daniel B. Wallace
Daniel Baird Wallace is a professor of New Testament Studies at Dallas Theological Seminary where he has been tenured since 1995. He is also the founder of the Center of the Study of NT Manuscripts....
, a professor at Dallas Theological Seminary
Dallas Theological Seminary
Dallas Theological Seminary is an evangelical theological seminary located in Dallas, Texas. It is known for popularizing the theological system known as Dispensationalism...
, in Texas on September 13, 2002, and acts under the umbrella of The Center for the Research of Early Christian Documents (CRECD). Daniel Wallace is the executive director of CSNTM.
Wallace has said the goal of the center is to photograph 1.3 million leaves of Greek New Testament manuscripts, and estimates this goal will not be reached until 2020. The CSNTM team has already photographed manuscripts in Constantinople at the Ecumenical Patriarchate of the Orthodox Church; the Institut für neutestamentliche Textforschung (INTF) in Münster, Germany; Tübingen University, Germany; the Monastery of St. John the Theologian on the island of Patmos, Greece; the National Archive in Tirana, Albania; the University of Michigan; several colleges at Cambridge University; University of Glasgow; and a few other sites. Wallace has also examined manuscripts in Vienna, Cologne, Florence, Berlin, at St. Catherine’s Monastery (Sinai), The Vatican
Vatican City
Vatican City , or Vatican City State, in Italian officially Stato della Città del Vaticano , which translates literally as State of the City of the Vatican, is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, Italy. It has an area of...
, Cambridge University, Oxford University, the University of Dresden, Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, the British Library, and several other sites.
The activity of CSNTM is limited by several reasons, including international law, finances and the traditional thinking of the other institutions. In spite of these difficulties CSNTM has photographed:
- Codex SinaiticusCodex SinaiticusCodex Sinaiticus is one of the four great uncial codices, an ancient, handwritten copy of the Greek Bible. It is an Alexandrian text-type manuscript written in the 4th century in uncial letters on parchment. Current scholarship considers the Codex Sinaiticus to be one of the best Greek texts of...
- Codex AlexandrinusCodex AlexandrinusThe Codex Alexandrinus is a 5th century manuscript of the Greek Bible,The Greek Bible in this context refers to the Bible used by Greek-speaking Christians who lived in Egypt and elsewhere during the early history of Christianity...
- Codex Vaticanus Graecus 1209
- Codex WashingtonianusCodex WashingtonianusThe Codex Washingtonianus or Codex Washingtonensis, designated by W or 032 , ε 014 , also called the Washington Manuscript of the Gospels, and The Freer Gospel, contains the four biblical gospels and was written in Greek on vellum in the fourth or fifth century...
- Codex BoernerianusCodex BoernerianusCodex Boernerianus, designated by Gp or 012 , α 1028 , is a small New Testament codex, measuring 25 x 18 cm, written in one column per page, 20 lines per page. Dated paleographically to the 9th century. The name of the codex derives from Boerner, to whom it once belonged...
- Codex BeratinusCodex BeratinusCodex Purpureus Beratinus designated by Φ or 043 , ε 17 , is an uncial illuminated manuscript Gospel book written in Greek. Dated palaeographically to the 6th century, the manuscript is written in an uncial hand on purple vellum with silver ink. The codex is preserved at the Albanian National...
Although the primary focus of the CSNTM is digital preservation of New Testament manuscripts, it also works with printed books related to textual criticism such as von Soden's Greek New Testament ("Die Schriften des Neuen Testaments, in ihrer ältesten erreichbaren Textgestalt hergestellt auf Grund ihrer Textgeschichte," Verlag von Arthur Glaue, Berlin 1902-1910). CSNTM holds also at least one manuscript of New Testament, Gregory-Aland minuscule 2882, a 10th-11th century copy of Luke’s Gospel.
CSNTM does not charge the institutes that own NT MSS for the digital photography; as a non-profit organization, CSNTM is dependent on the donations of individuals and foundations.