The Provenance of Greek New Testament Manuscripts

There are a number of lists of New Testament manuscripts available, most of them based on the one at the back of the Nestle-Aland edition of the Greek New Testament. A good list will tell you about where the manuscript is found now, what texts it contains, and when the manuscript is thought to be written. What the lists do not tell you is where the manuscript was found. So this list is to provide that information, to the extent it is known.

I am arranging the list chronologically as well as geographically. Many of the dates in the standard lists are wrong. I am adjusting the dates following the new ones given by Orsini and Clarysse (two papyrologists) rather than the standard ones given by theologians. Papyrologists can at best date business hands to the nearest half-century; literary hands can at best be dated to the nearest century. (So I think that even some of the Orsini and Clarysse dates are too precise.)

I have also included a number of other details about some of these manuscripts that are not well known. The contents only mention the book or books that show up in the manuscript and in most cases the entire book is not attested. I have added the Trismegistos number and links for those interested in more information.

Take the question marks seriously.

Oxyrhynchus (Bahnasa)

100-200

p104 (= TM 61782, Matthew)

150-200

p90 (= TM 61625, John)

150-225

P.Oxy. 50 3528 (= TM 59983, Shepherd of Hermas)

170-250

P.Oxy. 69 4706 (= TM 69384, Shepherd of Hermas)

175-225

p30 (= TM 61860, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians)

200-250

P.Oxy. 69 4705 (= TM 69383, Shepherd of Hermas)

200-300

p1 (= TM 61787, Mathew)
p5 (= TM 61630, John)
p18 (= TM 61636, Revelation)
p20 (= TM 61618, James)
p27 (= TM 61854, Romans)
p29 (= TM 61701, Acts)
p69 (= TM 61700, Luke)
p70 (= TM 61789, Matthew)
p100 (= TM 61619, James)
p101 (= TM 61786, Matthew)
p103 (= TM 61785, Matthew)
p106 (= TM 61631, John)
p107 (= TM 61632, John)
p108 (= TM 61633, John)
p109 (= TM 61634, John)
p111 (= TM 65894, Luke)
p113 (= TM 65896, Romans)
p114 (= TM 65897, Hebrews)
p119 (= TM 112358, John)
p121 (= TM 112360, John)
P.Oxy. 15 1828 (= TM 59987, Shepherd of Hermas)
P.Oxy. 50 3527 (= TM 59986, Shepherd of Hermas)
P.Oxy. 69 4707 (= TM 69385, Shepherd of Hermas)

200-400

P. Oxy 3 404 (= TM 59989, Shepherd of Hermas)

250-300

p22 (= TM 61629, John)
p23 (= TM 61620, James)
p77 (= TM 61784, Matthew)

250-350

p13 (= TM 61861, Hebrews)
p28 (= TM 61635, John)
p78 (= TM 61695, Jude)
p115 (= TM 65898, Revelation)
P. Oxy. 15 1783 (= TM 59991, Shepherd of Hermas)

275-300

p39 (= TM 61638, John)

275-325

p9 (= TM 61639, 1 John)
p125 (= TM 117814, 1 Peter)

300-350

p10 (= TM 61868, Romans)
p123 (= TM 113259, 1 Corinthians)

300-400

p15+16 (= TM 61859, 1 Corinthians, Philippians) p17 (= TM 61862, Hebrews)
p71 (= TM 61794, Matthew)
p102 (= TM 61790, Matthew)
p110 (= TM 65893, Matthew)
p120 (= TM 112359, John)
P.Oxy. 9 1172 (= TM 59993, Shepherd of Hermas)
P.Oxy. 13 1599 (= TM 59992, Shepherd of Hermas)
P.Oxy. 50 3526 (= TM 59993, Shepherd of Hermas)

300-500

p19 (= TM 61798, Matthew)
p21 (= TM 61796, Matthew)

325-375

p48 (= TM 61702, Acts)

350-400

p24 (= TM 61641, Revelation)

350-450

p51 (= TM 61869, Galatians)
p122 (= TM 112361, John)

400-500

p127 (= TM 119313, Acts)

400-600

p54 (= TM 61622, James)
p105 (= TM 61803, Matthew, amulet)

450-500

p35 (= TM 61802, Matthew)
p112 (= TM 65895, Acts)

500-600

p36 (= TM 61662, John)
p124 (= TM 113260, 2 Corinthians)

600-700

p26 (= TM 61898, Romans)

Oxyrhynchus(?)/Arsinoites(?)

125-175

p52 (= TM 61624, John)

Hermopolis (el-Ashmunein)

150-200

P.Iand. 1 4 (= TM 59982, Shepherd of Hermas)

350-400

P.Berl. 13272 (= TM 59990, Shepherd of Hermas)

Koptos (Qift)

175-200

p4+64+67 (= TM 61783, Matthew, Luke)

Aphroditopolis (Atfih) (?)/Panopolis (Akhmim) (?)/Arsinoites(?)

200-225

p46 (= TM 61855, Romans, Hebrews, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians)

200-250

p45 (= TM 61826, Matthew, John, Luke, Mark, Acts)

Aphroditopolis (Atfih) (?)

200-250

p47 (= TM 61628, Revelation)

Panopolis (Akhmim)

200-250

p66 (?) (= TM 61627, John)

300-350

p72 (= TM 61420, Protevangelium of Jacob, 3 Corinthians, Odes of Solomon, Jude, Melito of Sardis Peri Pascha, 1 Peter, 2 Peter)

350-450

P. Bodmer 38 (= TM 59994, Shepherd of Hermas, Dortheus Visio)

Hipponon (Qararo)

200-300

p40 (= TM 61846, Romans)

Egypt (further specification unknown)

200-225

p95 (= TM 61651, John)

200-250

p87 (= TM 61857, Philemon)
p98 (= TM 61626, Revelation)

200-300

p32 (= TM 61853, Titus)
p75 (= TM 61743, Luke, John)
p91 (= TM 61699, Acts)

250-350

p49 (= TM 61858, Ephesians)
p65 (= TM 61856, 1 Thessalonians)

300-350

p8 (= TM 61704, Acts)
p116 (= TM 66065, Hebrews)

300-400

p50 (= TM 61709, Acts)
p62 (= TM 61839, Matthew, Greek and Coptic [Akhmimic], Daniel)
p81 (= TM 61911, 1 Peter)
p82 (= TM 61706, Luke)
p86 (= TM 61793, Matthew)
p89 (= TM 61863, Hebrews)
p117 (= TM 68759, 2 Corinthians)
p126 (= TM 68735, Acts)

300-500

P.Hamburg 24/P.Iand. inv. 45 (= TM 59995, Shepherd of Hermas)
P.Prague I 1 (= TM 59996, Shepherd of Hermas)

350-400<

p88 (= TM 61757, Mark)

375-425

p85 (= TM 61644, Revelation)
p118 (= TM 68810, Romans)

400-450

p6 (= TM 61656, John in Greek and Coptic [Akhmimic]; James in Coptic; 1 Clement in Coptic)

400-500

p93 (= TM 61650, John)
p99 (= TM 61873, Romans, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians)

400-550

p94 (= TM 61885, Romans)

450-550

p63 (= TM 61661, John)
P. Amherst 2 190 (= TM 59999, Shepherd of Hermas)

475-500

p25 (= TM 61823, Matthew)

500-600

p76 (= TM 61669, Matthew)
p96 (= TM 61810, Matthew, Greek and Coptic [Sahidic])
P.Berl. BKT 6 (= TM 60001, Shepherd of Hermas)

600-700

p31 (= TM 61901, Romans)
p73 (= TM 61814, Matthew)
p74 (= TM 61742, Acts, James, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, Jude)
p80 (= TM 61645, John)

600-800

p42 (= TM 62320, Luke in Greek and Coptic)

Arsinoites

200-300

P.Mich 2.2 130 (= TM 59984, Shepherd of Hermas)

200-400

P.Berl. 5513/BKT 6.2.1 (= TM 59988, Shepherd of Hermas)

250-300

p12 (= TM 62312, Hebrews 1:1 and Genesis 1:1-5 palimpsest amulet over a letter)
p37 (?) (= TM 61788, Matthew)
p38 (?) (= TM 61703, Acts)

350-400

p53 (= TM 61827, Matthew, Acts)

350-450

p57 (= TM 61707, Acts)

400-500

P.Berl. 5104 (= TM 59997, Shepherd of Hermas)

400-600

p56 (= TM 61721, Acts)

500-600

p33+58 (= TM 61731, Acts)

500-700

p3 (= TM 61732, Luke)
p55 (= TM 61671, John)

600-700

p34 (= TM 61903, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians)
p79 (= TM 61907, Hebrews)

Sinai

200-500 (?)

p7 (= TM 61747, Luke)

500-600

p11 (= TM 61908, 1 Corinthians)
p14 (= TM 61886, 1 Corinthians)

600-700

p68 (?) (= TM 61902, 1 Corinthians)

Theadelphia (Batn el-Hatit)

250-300

P.Mich. 2.2 129 (= TM 59985, Shepherd of Hermas)

Narmouthis (Medinet Madi)

250-350

p92 (= TM 61852, Ephesians, 2 Thessalonians)

Djeme (Medinet Habu)

500-600

p2 (= TM 61744, John in Greek and Luke in Coptic)

500-700

p44 (= TM 61825, Matthew, John)

Khirbet Mird, Israel

500-600

p83 (= TM 61808, Matthew)
p84 (= TM 61775, Mark, John)

Wadi Sarga

500-700

p43 (= TM 61673, Revelation)

Aphrodito (Kom Ishqau) (?)

500-700

p97 (= TM 61698, Luke)

Nessana (Auja Hafir) Israel

600-700

p59 (= TM 61676, John)
p60 (= TM 61677, John)

650-750

p61 (= TM 61906, Romans, 1 Corinthians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, Titus, Philemon)

Krokodilopolis (Medinet el-Fayyum)

700-800

p41 (= TM 61739, Acts, in Greek and Coptic)

A few things stand out. First, we do not know the provenance of a large percentage of these manuscripts.

Another is that a number of the Greek manuscripts are actually bilingual Greek-Coptic manuscripts and they start appearing in the fourth century. The language switch helps explain why there are comparatively fewer copies of the Greek New Testament from Egypt after about 500.

A large percentage of our Greek New Testament manuscripts come from Oxyrhynchus. Most of those come from the third century. All the Oxyrhynchus manuscripts were found in the garbage dump. They were discarded manuscripts.

Half the manuscripts (5 of 10) from Arsinoites contain the book of Acts. Three quarters of the Sinai manuscripts contain 1 Corinthians.

Our second century manuscripts are all gospels (Matthew, John, and Luke) and the Shepherd of Hermas. The Revelation of John and James are also early popular works.

The early attestations at Coptos come as something of a surprise since Coptos is not really on  the radar of scholars in early Christianity. Arsinoites is another place that does not show up as a site of importance to those studying early Christianity but it has produced the second greatest number of papyri from a known site. Hermopolis is also not noted for its early Christian community and perhaps should be.

A number of the papyri come from the land of Israel rather than Egypt, though they figure in somewhat later.

The presence of Barnabas, 1 Clement, and the Shepherd of Hermas probably surprise some people but Barnabas and Shepherd of Hermas are included in the canon of scripture of Codex Sinaiticus, 1 Clement is included in Codex Alexandrinus. Note that the attestations are almost all early. After these books were excluded from the canon, they fell out of favor and generally stopped being copied.

Shepherd of Hermas is much more popular than the Gospel of Thomas and yet it figures much less prominently in the scholarship about early Christianity.

The lists in Nestle-Aland are very good at telling you which verses are actually attested but they are not good at telling you if works outside the Protestant New Testament are part of the manuscript or if there are languages other than Greek.

Provenance has not figured into discussions of New Testament manuscripts and perhaps it should.