Codex Sinaiticus

Overview and Relation to the Bible

Codex Sinaiticus is not a term found in the biblical text. It is the name of an ancient handwritten copy of the Bible. "Sinaiticus" refers to Mount Sinai, where the manuscript was discovered. "Codex" denotes a book made of bound leaves rather than a scroll. Scholars designate it by the Hebrew letter aleph (ℵ) or by the number 01.

Discovery and Transmission

In 1844 the German scholar Constantin von Tischendorf obtained 43 leaves of the manuscript at Saint Catherine's Monastery at the foot of Mount Sinai. In 1859 he secured the greater part of the manuscript and presented it to the Russian tsar. In 1933 the Soviet government sold this portion to the British Museum, and it is now held by the British Library. The remaining parts are divided among Leipzig University Library in Germany, the National Library of Russia, and Saint Catherine's Monastery. The monastery has long maintained that the manuscript was not legitimately removed, and the matter has been the subject of long-standing controversy. Around 2009 a project was undertaken to reunite the scattered portions digitally and make them available online.

Contents and Characteristics

The codex is written in Greek capital letters (uncial script), generally in four columns per page. The Old Testament portion is in the Greek translation known as the Septuagint; much of it has been lost, and only part survives. All 27 books of the New Testament survive. The codex also includes the noncanonical Epistle of Barnabas and part of the Shepherd of Hermas, which makes it a source for understanding the range of writings read in the early church. The hands of several scribes and later correctors can be traced throughout the manuscript, and the corrections themselves are an object of study.

Significance for Textual Criticism

Textual criticism is the discipline of comparing manuscripts to determine the form of the text closest to the original. In this field Codex Sinaiticus, together with Codex Vaticanus, is regarded as a leading witness to the so-called Alexandrian text type. For example, its text of the Gospel of Mark ends at Mark 16:8, and its text of the Gospel of John lacks the account of the woman taken in adultery (John 7:53–8:11). The critical Greek texts widely used today give significant weight to manuscripts of this kind.

Interpretations and Debates

Mainstream biblical scholarship and the seminaries of most denominations regard Codex Sinaiticus as one of the most valuable witnesses to the early text. Some conservative groups that support the King James Version and its underlying Textus Receptus, however, take a different view. They argue that the Alexandrian manuscripts represent a corrupted text and that Codex Sinaiticus is likewise unreliable. In the nineteenth century one individual claimed to have written the manuscript himself, but scholars do not accept this claim. The issue is closely connected with the Bible translation debate.

In the Korean Church

Korean graduate schools of theology present Codex Sinaiticus as a representative manuscript when teaching New Testament textual criticism. Some Korean Bible translations place in brackets verses that are absent from certain manuscripts or add marginal notes such as "Some manuscripts omit …". These markings reflect differences among ancient manuscripts such as Codex Sinaiticus.