Categories of New Testament manuscripts


in Greek are categorized into five groups, according to a scheme introduced in 1981 by Kurt and Barbara Aland in The text of the New Testament. The categories are based on how each manuscript relates to the various text-types. Generally speaking, earlier Alexandrian manuscripts are category I, while later Byzantine manuscripts are category V. Åland's method involved considering 1000 passages where the Byzantine text differs from non-Byzantine text. The Alands did not select their 1000 readings from all of the NT books; for example, none were drawn from Matthew and Luke.

Description of categories

Category I – Alexandrian

This category includes the earliest manuscripts. Some fourth century and earlier papyri and uncials are in this category, as are manuscripts of the Alexandrian text-type. The manuscripts in this category are important when considering textual problems and are considered by many scholars to be a good representation of the autograph, due to their early dating.

Category II – Egyptian

The manuscripts in this category are similar to category I manuscripts, and are important in textual consideration of the autograph. However, the texts usually contain some alien influences, such as those found in the Byzantine text-type. Egyptian texts fall in this category.

Category III – Eclectic

The manuscripts in category III are important when discussing the history of the textual traditions and to a lesser degree for establishing the original text. The manuscripts usually contain independent readings, and have a distinctive character. f1, f13 are examples of manuscript families that fall within this category. Manuscripts of this category usually present mixed or eclectic text-type.

Category IV – Western

Category IV contains the few manuscripts that follow the text of the Codex Bezae. These texts are of the Western text-type.

Category V – Byzantine

and mostly Byzantine texts fall under this category.

Uncategorised – Caesarean

is the term proposed by certain scholars to denote a consistent pattern of variant readings of the four Gospels.

Distribution of Greek manuscripts by century and category

See.
Date IIIIIIIVV
150,,
200,,,,,, 0189,
250,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 02200212,
300,,,,,, 0162, , 0171
350,,, 01, 03,,,,,,,, 0185, 058, 0169, 0188, 0206, 0207, 0221, 0228, 0231, 0242
400057,,,,, 0181, 0270, 059, 0160, 0176, 0214, 0219
45002, 0254, 04, 016, 029, 048, 077, 0172, 0173, 0175, 0201, 0240, 0244, 027402, 032, 062, 068, 069, 0163, 0165, 0166, 0182, 0216, 0217, 0218, 0226, 0227, 0236, 0252, 026105026, 061
500, 071, 076, 088, 0232, 0247,, 072, 0170, 0186, 0213
550, 06, 08, 073, 081, 085, 087, 089, 091, 093, 094, 0184, 0223, 0225, 0245,,,,, 06, 015, 035, 040, 060, 066, 067, 070, 078, 079, 082, 086, 0143, 0147, 0159, 0187, 0198, 0208, 0222, 0237, 0241, 0251, 0260, 0266022, 023, 024, 027, 042, 043, 064, 065, 093, 0246, 0253, 0265
600,,, 083, 0164, 0199
650, 098,,,, 0102, 0108, 0111, 0204, 0275,, 096, 097, 099, 0106, 0107, 0109, 0145, 0167, 0183, 0200, 0209, 0210, 0239, 0259, 0262, 0103, 0104, 0211
700,
750019, 0101, 0114, 0156, 0205, 0234, 095, 0126, 0127, 0146, 0148, 0161, 0229, 0233, 0238, 0250, 025607, 047, 054, 0116, 0134
800044 044
85033 010, 038, 0155, 0271, 33, 892, 2464012, 025, 037, 050, 0122, 0128, 0130, 0131, 0132, 0150, 0269, 56509, 011, 013, 014, 017, 018, 020, 021, 025, 030, 031, 034, 039, 041, 045, 049, 053, 063, 0120, 0133, 0135, 0136, 0151, 0197, 0248, 0255, 0257, 0272, 0273, 461
90018410115, 1424 1424, 1841
9501739 0177, 0243, 1739, 1891, 2329051, 075, 0105, 0121a, 0121b, 0140, 0141, 0249, 307, 1582, 1836, 1845, 1874, 1875, 1912, 2110, 2193, 2351028, 033, 036, 046, 052, 056, 0142, 1874, 1891
10501175, 1243, 234481, 323, 945, 1006, 1854, 1962, 229828, 104, 181, 323, 398, 424, 431, 436, 451, 459, 623, 700, 788, 1243, 1448, 1505, 1838, 1846, 1908, 2138, 2147, 2298, 2344, 2596 103, 104, 181, 398, 431, 451, 459, 945, 1006, 1448, 1505, 1846, 1854, 2138, 2147, 2298
1100256, 17351735, 1910256
11501241 36, 1611, 2050, 21271, 36, 88, 94, 157, 326, 330, 346, 378, 543, 610, 826, 828, 917, 983, 1071, 1241, 1319, 1359, 1542b, 1611, 1718, 1942, 2030, 2412, 2541, 27441, 180, 189, 330, 378, 610, 911, 917, 1010, 1241, 1319, 1359, 1542b, 2127, 2541
120015731573
12502053, 2062442, 579, 1292, 18526, 13, 94, 180, 206, 218, 263, 365, 441, 614, 720, 915, 1398, 1563, 1641, 1852, 2374, 2492, 2516, 2542, 2718 6, 94, 180, 206, 218, 263, 365, 597, 720, 1251, 1292, 1398, 1642, 1852, 2374, 2400, 2492, 2516
13001342
13501067, 1409, 1506, 18815, 209, 254, 429, 453, 621, 629, 630, 1523, 1534, 1678, 1842, 1877, 2005, 2197, 2200, 23775, 189, 209, 254, 429, 1067, 1409, 1506, 1523, 1524, 1877, 2200
14002495
145032269, 205, 322, 467, 642, 1751, 1844, 1959, 2523, 265269, 181, 205, 429, 467, 642, 886, 2523, 2623, 2652
150061, 522, 918, 1704, 188461, 522, 918, 1704
1550-849, 2544 2544

Number of manuscripts by century and category

CenturyCategory ICategory IICategory IIICategory IVCategory V
II3
II/III6
III2512
III/IV82
IV5810
IV/V1 77
V2161912
V/VI66
VI153112
VI/VII143
VII28174
VII/VIII21
VIII6125
VIII/IX11
IX37125
IX/X122
X151810
XI372416
XI/XII221
XII152416
XII/XIII11
XIII242118
XIII/XIV1
XIV141712
XIV/XV1
XV1119
XVI54
XVI/XVII21

Limitations

This system of classification prefers the Alexandrian text-type. Manuscripts that represent the Western text-type are classified as Category IV in Gospels, and Category II/III in the Pauline Letters. This is significant because some scholars believe that some or all of the Minuscule text or the Western texts are closer to the original texts. Some manuscripts are not classified. Uncial 055 is not because it is a commentary, and according to some specialists, written in a minuscule hand. ,,, Uncial 080, Uncial 0100, Uncial 0118, 0174, 0230, 0263, 0264, 0267, 0268 are too brief to classify. Uncial 0144 and 0196 are not accessible. is not classified because of the Diatessaric character of text.
was classified to Category I, but it is not a representative of the Alexandrian text-type. According to Comfort it is "a good example of what Kurt and Barbara Åland call "normal".