<P> The majority of New Testament textual criticism deals with Greek manuscripts because scholars believe the original books of the New Testament were written in Greek . The text of the New Testament is also found both translated in manuscripts of many different languages (called versions) and quoted in manuscripts of the writings of the Church Fathers . In the critical apparatus of the Novum Testamentum Graece, a series of abbreviations and prefixes designate different language versions (it for Old Latin, lowercase letters for individual Old Latin manuscripts, vg for Vulgate, lat for Latin, sy for Sinaitic Palimpsest, sy for Curetonian Gospels, sy for the Peshitta, co for Coptic, ac for Akhmimic, bo for Bohairic, sa for Sahidic, arm for Armenian, geo for Georgian, got for Gothic, aeth for Ethiopic, and slav for Old Church Slavonic). </P> <P> The New Testament books appear to have been completed within the 1st century . The original manuscripts of the New Testament books have not survived . The autographs were lost or destroyed a long time ago . What survives are copies of the original . Generally speaking, these copies were made centuries after the originals from other copies rather than from the autograph . Paleography, a science of dating manuscripts by typological analysis of their scripts, is the most precise and objective means known for determining the age of a manuscript . Script groups belong typologically to their generation; and changes can be noted with great accuracy over relatively short periods of time . Dating of manuscript material by a radiocarbon dating test requires that a small part of the material be destroyed in the process . Both radiocarbon and paleographical dating only give a range of possible dates, and it is still debated just how narrow this range might be . Dates established by radiocarbon dating can present a range of 10 to over 100 years . Similarly, dates established by paleography can present a range of 25 to over 125 years . </P> <P> The earliest manuscript of a New Testament text is a business - card - sized fragment from the Gospel of John, Rylands Library Papyrus P52, which may be as early as the first half of the 2nd century . The first complete copies of single New Testament books appear around 200, and the earliest complete copy of the New Testament, the Codex Sinaiticus dates to the 4th century . The following table lists the earliest extant manuscript witnesses for the books of the New Testament . </P> <Table> <Tr> <Td> <P> Book </P> </Td> <Td> <P> Earliest extant manuscripts </P> </Td> <Td> <P> Date </P> </Td> <Td> <P> Condition </P> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> <P> Matthew </P> </Td> <Td> <P> P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))), P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))), P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))), P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))), P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))), P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))), P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))), P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))), P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))), P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))), P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))), P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))), P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))), P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))) </P> </Td> <Td> <P> c. 150--250 (2nd--3rd century) </P> </Td> <Td> <P> Large fragments </P> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> <P> Mark </P> </Td> <Td> <P> P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))) </P> </Td> <Td> <P> c. 250 (3rd century) </P> </Td> <Td> <P> Large fragments </P> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> <P> Luke </P> </Td> <Td> <P> P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))), P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))), P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))), P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))) </P> </Td> <Td> <P> c. 175--250 (2nd--3rd century) </P> </Td> <Td> <P> Large fragments </P> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> <P> John </P> </Td> <Td> <P> P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))), P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))), P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))), P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))), P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))), P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))), P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))), P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))), P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))), P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))), P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))), P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))), P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))) </P> </Td> <Td> <P> c. 125--250 (2nd--3rd century) </P> </Td> <Td> <P> Large fragments </P> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> <P> Acts </P> </Td> <Td> <P> P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))), P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))), P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))), P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))), P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))), P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))), P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))) </P> </Td> <Td> <P> Early 3rd century </P> </Td> <Td> <P> Large fragments </P> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> <P> Romans </P> </Td> <Td> <P> P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))), P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))), P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))) </P> </Td> <Td> <P> c. 175--225 (2nd--3rd century) </P> </Td> <Td> <P> Fragments </P> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> <P> 1 Corinthians </P> </Td> <Td> <P> P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))), P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))), P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))) </P> </Td> <Td> <P> c. 175--225 (2nd--3rd century) </P> </Td> <Td> <P> Fragments </P> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> <P> 2 Corinthians </P> </Td> <Td> <P> P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))) </P> </Td> <Td> <P> c. 175--225 (2nd--3rd century) </P> </Td> <Td> <P> Fragments </P> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> <P> Galatians </P> </Td> <Td> <P> P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))) </P> </Td> <Td> <P> c. 175--225 (2nd--3rd century) </P> </Td> <Td> <P> Fragments </P> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> <P> Ephesians </P> </Td> <Td> <P> P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))), P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))) </P> </Td> <Td> <P> c. 175--225 (2nd--3rd century) </P> </Td> <Td> <P> Fragments </P> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> <P> Philippians </P> </Td> <Td> <P> P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))), P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))) </P> </Td> <Td> <P> c. 175--225 (2nd--3rd century) </P> </Td> <Td> <P> Fragments </P> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> <P> Colossians </P> </Td> <Td> <P> P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))) </P> </Td> <Td> <P> c. 175--225 (2nd--3rd century) </P> </Td> <Td> <P> Fragments </P> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> <P> 1 Thessalonians </P> </Td> <Td> <P> P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))), P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))), P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))) </P> </Td> <Td> <P> c. 175--225 (2nd--3rd century) </P> </Td> <Td> <P> Fragments </P> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> <P> 2 Thessalonians </P> </Td> <Td> <P> P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))) </P> </Td> <Td> <P> Early 3rd century </P> </Td> <Td> <P> Fragments </P> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> <P> 1 Timothy </P> </Td> <Td> <P> א </P> </Td> <Td> <P> c. 350 (4th century) </P> </Td> <Td> <P> Complete </P> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> <P> 2 Timothy </P> </Td> <Td> <P> א </P> </Td> <Td> <P> c. 350 (4th century) </P> </Td> <Td> <P> Complete </P> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> <P> Titus </P> </Td> <Td> <P> P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))) </P> </Td> <Td> <P> c. 200 (late 2nd--early 3rd century) </P> </Td> <Td> <P> Fragment </P> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> <P> Philemon </P> </Td> <Td> <P> P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))) </P> </Td> <Td> <P> 3rd century </P> </Td> <Td> <P> Fragment </P> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> <P> Hebrews </P> </Td> <Td> <P> P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))), P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))), P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))), P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))) </P> </Td> <Td> <P> c. 175--225 (2nd--3rd century) </P> </Td> <Td> <P> Fragments </P> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> <P> James </P> </Td> <Td> <P> P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))), P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))), P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))) </P> </Td> <Td> <P> 3rd Century </P> </Td> <Td> <P> Fragments </P> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> <P> 1 Peter </P> </Td> <Td> <P> P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))), P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))) </P> </Td> <Td> <P> c. 300 (late 3rd--early 4th century) </P> </Td> <Td> <P> Fragments </P> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> <P> 2 Peter </P> </Td> <Td> <P> P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))) </P> </Td> <Td> <P> c. 300 (late 3rd--early 4th century) </P> </Td> <Td> <P> Fragments </P> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> <P> 1 John </P> </Td> <Td> <P> P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))) </P> </Td> <Td> <P> 3rd century </P> </Td> <Td> <P> Fragment </P> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> <P> 2 John </P> </Td> <Td> <P> א </P> </Td> <Td> <P> c. 350 (4th century) </P> </Td> <Td> <P> Complete </P> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> <P> 3 John </P> </Td> <Td> <P> א </P> </Td> <Td> <P> c. 350 (4th century) </P> </Td> <Td> <P> Complete </P> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> <P> Jude </P> </Td> <Td> <P> P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))), P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))) </P> </Td> <Td> <P> c. 300 (late 3rd--early 4th century) </P> </Td> <Td> <P> Fragments </P> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> <P> Revelation </P> </Td> <Td> <P> P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))), P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))), P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))), P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))), P (\ displaystyle (\ mathfrak (P))) </P> </Td> <Td> <P> c. 150--250 (2nd - 3rd century) </P> </Td> <Td> <P> Fragment </P> </Td> </Tr> </Table>

When were the oldest surviving new testament manuscripts written