uncial · Greek · OT + NT

Codex Vaticanus

Also known as: B, 03

AD 300 – AD 350 (~AD 325) · dated by paleography

Evidence card

A quick read on the physical object before the interpretive summary.

2 sources

Artifact

uncial · Greek

Date basis

AD 300 – AD 350 (~AD 325) · paleography

Survival

~90% physically present

Contents

ot-lxx Almost complete LXX (missing parts of Genesis, Psalms, plus 1-4 Maccabees never present); nt Most of NT — breaks off in Hebrews 9:14, lacks Pastorals, Philemon, Revelation

Artifact/map cue

Held at Vatican Apostolic Library, Rome · Discovery: Catalogued in the Vatican Library since at least 1475

Date

AD 300 – AD 350 (~AD 325)

Passage represented

ot-lxx Almost complete LXX (missing parts of Genesis, Psalms, plus 1-4 Maccabees never present); nt Most of NT — breaks off in Hebrews 9:14, lacks Pastorals, Philemon, Revelation

Fragmentary or partial witness

How much survives

~90% of the claimed text is physically present

Why it matters

The oldest essentially-complete Bible. Generally considered the highest-quality early witness to the New Testament text, though it lacks Hebrews 9:14 onward, the Pastoral Epistles, Philemon, and Revelation.

What it contains

ot-lxx — Almost complete LXX (missing parts of Genesis, Psalms, plus 1-4 Maccabees never present)
nt — Most of NT — breaks off in Hebrews 9:14, lacks Pastorals, Philemon, Revelation (partial)

~90% of the claimed text is physically present.

Notable readings

Mark 16:9-20

OMITTED — but the scribe left a blank column suggesting awareness of a longer version

John 7:53-8:11

OMITTED

Where & when

Held at: Vatican Apostolic Library, Rome
Discovery: Catalogued in the Vatican Library since at least 1475

Source trail

Named catalogues, editions, libraries, or scholarship used for this manuscript page.