ACE Interview Craig Evans "Recent Discoveries of New Testament Manuscripts"

Summary

In this discussion, Dr. Craig Evans and Josh Chatraw explore recent discoveries of New Testament manuscripts. Dr. Evans explains the importance of finding early copies of these texts and highlights the abundance of ancient Greek manuscripts, with some fragments dating as far back as the second century. A potentially groundbreaking discovery—a fragment of the Gospel of Mark from the first century—could further confirm the stability and consistency of the New Testament texts. The conversation emphasizes how these findings support the reliability of the manuscript tradition, challenging skepticism from scholars like Bart Ehrman.

Takeaways

• 📜 We have approximately 5,800 Greek New Testament manuscripts, either whole or fragments, dating before the Gutenberg press.
• 🏛️ Dozens of these manuscripts date prior to the time of Emperor Constantine and the Council of Nicaea (325 AD).
• ⏳ Scholars are seeking manuscripts as close to the first century as possible, with a few already dating to the second century.
• 🔍 There are tens of thousands of manuscripts yet to be examined, including non-Christian and non-biblical texts.
• 🎭 Fragments of manuscripts have been recovered from ancient papier-mâché materials, including mummy masks, revealing writings on used papyrus.
• 🕵️ Techniques have been developed to dissolve the glue of cartonnage without damaging the papyrus, allowing scholars to read the ancient text.
• 📖 Fragments of the New Testament, including possible fragments of the Gospel of Mark, have been discovered and might date back to the first century.
• 📝 A significant sample of early New Testament fragments shows that the text is stable and consistent across manuscripts.
• 🤔 Critics like Bart Ehrman raise concerns about the gap between the original texts and the manuscripts, but new discoveries close this gap, reinforcing confidence in the manuscript tradition.
• 📚 The Greek New Testament is considered very well-preserved and stable, with experts from various disciplines acknowledging its textual reliability compared to other ancient literature.

Q & A

What are New Testament manuscripts, and how do they differ from autographs?

New Testament manuscripts are handwritten copies of the original texts, whereas autographs refer to the original documents themselves. We don't have the autographs, only copies of copies.

How many Greek New Testament manuscripts have been discovered so far?

Approximately 5,800 Greek New Testament manuscripts, either complete or fragments, have been discovered.

Why are early New Testament manuscripts prior to Emperor Constantine considered important?

Manuscripts from before Emperor Constantine and the Council of Nicaea (325 AD) are significant because they provide insight into the early textual history of the New Testament, making them key for scholars working to reconstruct the original text.

What is the value of finding manuscripts close to the first century?

Finding manuscripts close to the first century is valuable because it reduces the time gap between when the texts were originally written and the earliest surviving copies, providing a more accurate representation of the original text.

What discoveries have been made from cartonnage and mummy masks?

Fragments of second-century New Testament texts and early Greek translations of the Old Testament (Septuagint) have been recovered from cartonnage, a form of ancient papier-mâché used in mummy masks and other objects.

Why is the potential discovery of a first-century fragment of the Gospel of Mark significant?

If confirmed, the discovery of a first-century fragment of the Gospel of Mark would be the oldest known New Testament fragment, giving scholars direct evidence of early New Testament textual transmission.

How does finding early manuscript fragments help scholars confirm the stability of the text?

Finding early fragments and seeing that they match the later manuscripts suggests that the New Testament text remained stable and consistent over time, providing confidence in its preservation.

What is Bart Ehrman’s argument about the gap between the original New Testament writings and the earliest manuscripts?

Bart Ehrman argues that there is a large gap between when the originals were written and the surviving manuscripts, creating uncertainty about what might have changed during that time.

What has been observed from manuscript samples dating to the second and third centuries?

Manuscripts from the second and third centuries show that the New Testament text has been stable, with no significant surprises or alterations, reinforcing its preservation.

How does the preservation of the Greek New Testament compare to other ancient literature?

The preservation of the Greek New Testament is in a league of its own compared to other ancient literature, being exceptionally well-preserved and stable according to both Christian and non-Christian scholars.

Outlines

00:00

📜 Discoveries in New Testament Manuscripts

Josh Chatraw interviews Dr. Craig Evans about recent discoveries of New Testament manuscripts. Evans explains that we do not have the original manuscripts (called autographs) but rather copies of copies. There are about 5,800 Greek New Testament manuscripts, some dating before the time of Emperor Constantine. Scholars focus on obtaining early manuscripts to get closer to the original texts. Cartonnage, a form of ancient papier-mâché, has been a source for finding these fragments. Evans mentions that through recent techniques, fragments from the second century have been found, and there is excitement about a possible first-century fragment of the Gospel of Mark. If this discovery is confirmed, it would be the oldest fragment of the New Testament and provide crucial insights into early Christian texts.

05:04

🧐 Consistency of the Manuscript Tradition

Dr. Evans continues to explain the importance of early manuscript fragments. He shares that fragments from as early as 130–140 AD show a stable and consistent text. Every new fragment discovery reveals the same story: the text has not changed over time. Both Christian and non-Christian scholars agree that the Greek New Testament is very well-preserved, with its consistency surpassing that of other ancient literature. This textual stability supports confidence in the accuracy of the New Testament manuscripts, especially when compared to other historical texts.

Keywords

💡New Testament manuscripts

New Testament manuscripts refer to handwritten copies of the New Testament books. The video explains that we do not have the original texts (called autographs), but we have over 5,800 copies, ranging from whole documents to fragments. These manuscripts are crucial for understanding the textual integrity of the Bible.

💡Autographs

Autographs are the original writings of the New Testament authors. The video notes that while none of these have survived, scholars work with later copies to reconstruct the original text. The absence of autographs means textual critics rely on the earliest available manuscripts to get as close as possible to the originals.

💡Textual criticism

Textual criticism is the scholarly practice of analyzing ancient manuscripts to determine the most accurate text. In the video, Dr. Evans describes how textual critics compare various manuscripts, particularly those dating back to the early centuries, to ensure that modern versions of the New Testament are as accurate as possible.

💡Cartonnage

Cartonnage refers to an ancient papier-mâché material, often made from recycled papyrus that had writing on it. The video explains how archaeologists have developed techniques to dissolve the glue in cartonnage without damaging the papyrus, allowing them to recover ancient texts, including potential New Testament fragments.

💡Mummy masks

Mummy masks are an example of objects made from cartonnage. These masks, often found in tombs, are created from layers of recycled papyrus, which might contain fragments of important ancient texts. The video highlights the discovery of second-century New Testament fragments from such artifacts.

💡Septuagint

The Septuagint is the Greek translation of the Old Testament. The video mentions the discovery of early fragments of the Septuagint along with New Testament manuscripts. These findings contribute to our understanding of the transmission and preservation of biblical texts in antiquity.

💡Second-century fragments

Second-century fragments refer to New Testament manuscript portions dating from the second century AD. These are particularly valuable because they bring scholars closer to the original writings of the New Testament. Dr. Evans mentions the discovery of such fragments, which show a stable and consistent text.

💡First-century fragment of Mark

A first-century fragment of Mark refers to the potential discovery of a fragment of the Gospel of Mark that could date to the first century AD. If confirmed, this would be the oldest known fragment of the New Testament, providing a closer connection to the original text. Dr. Evans expresses excitement about this discovery, though it is still awaiting publication.

💡Emperor Constantine

Emperor Constantine was the Roman emperor who played a significant role in the history of Christianity, notably through the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD. The video distinguishes between manuscripts predating Constantine's reign, which are of particular interest to scholars seeking to understand the earliest forms of the New Testament.

💡Manuscript tradition

Manuscript tradition refers to the history of how texts, such as the New Testament, have been copied and transmitted over time. The video discusses how recent discoveries reinforce confidence in the reliability of the New Testament manuscript tradition, which is highly stable compared to other ancient literature.

Highlights

There are approximately 5,800 Greek New Testament manuscripts, either whole or in fragments, from before the Gutenberg press.

Dozens of New Testament manuscripts date back to the time prior to Emperor Constantine and the Nicaea Council of 325.

Scholars and archaeologists aim to find manuscripts as close as possible to the first century, with a handful dating back to the second century.

Tens of thousands of manuscripts, both Christian and non-Christian, remain unexamined, providing a vast resource for future discoveries.

Researchers have developed a technique to dissolve the glue in ancient cartonnage, a form of papier-mâché, without damaging the papyrus within.

Ancient cartonnage, including mummy masks, was made from used paper, often containing valuable historical texts.

Through the deconstruction of mummy masks and cartonnage, scholars have found second-century fragments of the Greek New Testament.

Early fragments of the Greek Old Testament (Septuagint) have also been recovered from these ancient materials.

There is a possibility that a fragment of the Gospel of Mark, potentially from the first century, has been recovered, which would be the oldest New Testament fragment.

If confirmed, this Mark fragment could significantly impact our understanding of New Testament manuscript traditions.

Even small fragments, like a few verses, provide a meaningful sample that can indicate the stability and consistency of the entire text.

Current discoveries show that the text of early New Testament manuscripts is stable and consistent, which supports the reliability of the manuscript tradition.

Significant samples of New Testament manuscripts from the early third century (around 200 AD) have been found, confirming textual consistency.

Both Christian and non-Christian scholars acknowledge the well-preserved and stable nature of the Greek New Testament.

Compared to other ancient literature, the Greek New Testament is in a league of its own regarding the number and quality of manuscripts available.

Transcripts

>> JOSH CHATRAW: Dr. Evans, tell us a little about, at least in general terms, some new

discoveries of New Testament manuscripts that have been made.

And just for our viewers, when we talk about New Testament manuscripts we're talking about

copies of copies.

We don't have original New Testament manuscripts.

Those are called autographs.

But what we have is copies, and so scholars are constantly looking and archeologists are

looking for new early copies.

Tell us a little bit about where we're at with that, and what are some new things that

have happened there? 

>> CRAIG EVANS: Well, the first thing I really should tell you is that we have an abundance

of riches.

We have approximately 5,800 Greek New Testaments, either whole or parts, fragments.

And the manuscripts, as the word implies, handwritten prior to the Gutenberg press in

the 15th century.

And we have dozens that date back to a time prior to Emperor Constantine, and say the

Nicaea Council of 325.

And those tend to be the manuscripts that scholars, textual critics as they're called,

are chiefly concerned with.

And so, we want to get as many old manuscripts as we can find as close as we can get back

to the first century as possible.

We have a handful of manuscripts that date to the second century.

So, we have—there are tens of thousands of manuscripts not yet examined.

And when I say manuscripts, I mean of all kinds—Greek, Roman, whether or not they're

Christian, whether or not they're biblical.

So, there's just a mountain of material we have to sift through.

But we're also recovering fragments from what's called cartonnage.

it's ancient papier-mâché.

Mummy masks were made out of that and other interesting shapes and so on that

we find in tombs.

Some of its damaged.

Some of its museum quality.

And so, a technique in recent years has been developed that allows for this papier-mâché,

this cartonnage to—for the glue to dissolve without damaging the papyrus itself.

Because when cartonnage was made, whether it was for a mummy mask, or part of the body,

or some other purpose, they never use brand new paper; it’s too expensive.

So, it had writing on it; it's used paper.

So, if you can take that apart, then you can read the text.

And so, some mummy masks and some other pieces, damaged pieces of cartonnage have been deconstructed.

We have actually found two, maybe three, second century fragments of the Greek New Testament.

We have found some early fragments of the Greek translation of the Old Testament, called

the Septuagint.

Of course, the jackpot that everyone wants to hear about—we may have recovered a fragment

of Mark.

>> CHATRAW: Yeah.

A few verses, that's all we're talking about, that could date to the first century.

And if this is confirmed, and we have to wait until it's published, then this would be,

for the first time, a fragment of the New Testament has been found that reaches back

to the first century.

It'd be the oldest fragment.

So, these are the kinds of things that are going on, and it's very exciting.

What does it do?

If we find even just six verses of—it's a sample.

It's like taking a poll that we do in politics all the time.

You can't poll everybody.

You poll 1%, and it gives you a good idea of what everybody's thinking.

Well it's the same thing with a manuscript.

If you get six or seven verses of the Gospel of Mark, or some of the writing, and it turns

out the text matches the text that we have, that would suggest the whole document probably

does too.

And so, it would be a significant sample.

So, I look forward to the publication of this Mark fragment in a couple of years. 

>> CHATRAW: Yeah, that's great.

I mean, because one of the things going on is with Mark.

You kind of break these things up, as I understand it—I'm not a textual critic—in different

books in what we have as far as manuscripts.

One of the things that someone like Bart Ehrman says, is that this big gap between when the

original was written, and the manuscripts we have, and who knows what happened?

And so, there's—He doesn't know, because we don't have anything, but it can go into

this endless speculation.

And so, as we inch back, and these discoveries are made, and we inch back further to the

original, I think the hope is that we find more and more, and that we'll give a spirit

of confidence in the manuscript tradition that we have.

>> EVANS: Well Josh, I can tell you right now, we have significant samples of old manuscripts

from about the beginning of the third century, that is 200, 210, something like that, back

into the second century, all the way back to, perhaps, 130, 140 AD.

And what we're finding is there are no surprises.

The text is stable and consistent.

And so, every time we find another fragment, it's the same story.

The text is consistent.

And not just Christians, but non-Christians who work in the area of classics, Greek and

Latin, they acknowledge that the Greek New Testament is very well preserved and very

stable.

>> CHATRAW: Yeah, it's in a very—really, when you compare it to other literature, it's

just in a league of its own as far as the manuscripts. 

>> EVANS: Very much so.

Very true.

>> CHATRAW: Thank you for being with us.

This was great.

>> EVANS: My pleasure.