The Codex Sinaiticus and the Codex Alexandrinus

For what was essentially a museum promo booklet, this was an amazingly significant product.

It is the British Library's (formerly the British Museum's) incredible good fortune to own two of probably the three most important copies of the Bible in existence: The Codex Sinaiticus, written in the fourth century, the only complete copy of the Greek New Testament prior to the ninth century, which also contains part of the Greek Old Testament; and the Codex Alexandrinus, written in the fifth century, which contains both Old and New Testaments almost complete (the most complete early copy of the Greek Old Testament).

But just having a book isn't much use unless people know something about it. This was the British Museum's attempt to let people know about their two treasures. There is nothing unusual about that, of course -- museums are always printing up exhibition booklets. But this book really does go above and beyond. It's not just a description of the two books (although it is that). Milne and Skeat actually sat down and examined the volumes to try to add to, not just repeat, what was known about them. And their information on the correctors of Sinaiticus is still considered valuable today. Most of the time, you can drop an exhibition booklet without a qualm. But if you're interested in the manuscripts of the Greek Bible, and find this one, grab it. ( )