Can you guess where the Codex Vaticanus resides? Yep, the Vatican Library.
This manuscript dates from the early 300s A.D. It was written on parchment, each page containing three columns of script, with no capital letters and hardly any punctuation. It appears to bear the writing of three different scribes: one who wrote down all the words of Scripture, one who made some corrections, and one—much later—who retraced most of the letters when they faded.
This is almost all we know of the Codex Vaticanus. Its origin, its writers, the people who commissioned it, the people who used and read it, are unknown. The first definite documentation we have of it is from the 15th century, where it appears in a Vatican Library catalog.
Despite the 1200-year gap, however, the age of this precious bible is indisputable. As the work closest to the time of the Gospel writers, it is an invaluable reference for all the bibles we use today.
The Codex Vaticanus reminds us of a time when a book was a rare, precious, and expensive thing. Celebrate today’s easy access to any book—especially the Bible—by bringing the Living the Word Catholic Women’s Bible home to your shelf. This beautiful bible, complete with quotes from the saints, reflections from notable Catholic women, and wide margins for notes, will help you dive more deeply into Scripture every time you read it. Get your copy today from The Catholic Company!
