The Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts (CSNTM), along with its Board of Directors, is pleased to announce that it has received a fabulous facsimile of the fourth century majuscule, Vaticanus: Bibliorum Sacrorum Graecorum: Codex Vaticanus B. This facsimile, which was published by the Vatican in 1999, is a remarkably faithful reproduction of the actual manuscript. It is in fact one of the finest facsimiles of any document ever produced. The publisher ensured that the colors were accurately captured. And if there are holes in the original manuscript, these have been precisely replicated in the facsimile!
Vaticanus is esteemed by many textual critics, including CSNTM’s Dr. Daniel B. Wallace, as one of the most valuable witness to the text of the New Testament extant today. Its faithful testimony to the Gospels along with its alignment with P75 make it extremely important. Codex Vaticanus contains the Septuagint and the New Testament, although it is missing parts of the Old Testament and Hebrews 9.14–13.25, 1 Timothy to Philemon, and Revelation. It is housed at the Vatican.
The Vatican only authorized 450 copies to be published—each numbered and each signed by Pope John Paul II on Christmas Day, 1999. CSNTM is grateful to the anonymous donor who gave such a remarkable gift to the Center!