New Testament · book 66
Revelation
What tradition claims
John (apostle, in tradition; 'John of Patmos' in the text)
AD 90 – AD 96
Critical scholarship
AD 90 – AD 96
The gap
Claimed start: AD 90Gap: 82 yearsEarliest MS: AD 175today
Earliest manuscript: Papyrus P98
Earliest complete copy
Claimed start: AD 90Gap: 257 yearsEarliest MS: AD 350today
Earliest manuscript: Codex Sinaiticus
Notes
Revelation has the worst-attested early manuscript tradition of any NT book — Vaticanus does not contain it, and even Sinaiticus's text is comparatively poor. Authorship was disputed in antiquity (Dionysius of Alexandria, 3rd century, doubted apostolic authorship). The book was the last to gain widespread canonical acceptance in the East.
All witnesses on file (1)
- Papyrus P98 · AD 150 – AD 200 (~AD 175)