Codex Sinaiticus

{{short description|4th-century handwritten Bible copy in Greek}}
{{good article}}
{{Use dmy dates |date=February 2021}}
{{New Testament manuscript infobox
| form = Uncial
| number = '''01'''
| image = [[File:Sinaiticus text.jpg|220px|border]]
| isize = 
| caption = [[Book of Esther]]
| name = Sinaiticus
| sign = <math>\aleph</math>
| text = [[Greek Old Testament]] and Greek New Testament
| script = [[Greek language|Greek]]
| date = 4th century (after 325 AD)
| found = [[Sinai peninsula|Sinai]], 1844
| now at = [[British Library]], [[Leipzig University Library]], [[Saint Catherine's Monastery]], [[Russian National Library]]
| cite = Lake, K. (1911). ''Codex Sinaiticus Petropolitanus'', Oxford.
| size = {{convert|38.1|xx|34.5|cm|in|1|abbr=on}}
| type = [[Alexandrian text-type]]
| cat = I
| hand =
| note = very close to {{Papyrus link|66}}
}}
The '''Codex Sinaiticus''' ([[Shelfmark]]: London, [[British Library]], Add MS 43725), designated by siglum {{larger|{{script|Hebr|א}}}} &#91;Aleph&#93; or '''01''' (in the [[Biblical manuscript#Gregory-Aland|Gregory-Aland]] numbering of New Testament manuscripts), δ 2 (in the [[Biblical manuscript#Von Soden|von Soden]] numbering of New Testament manuscripts), also called '''Sinai Bible''', is a fourth-century Christian [[manuscript]] of a Greek Bible, containing the majority of the [[Septuagint|Greek Old Testament]], including the [[deuterocanonical books]], and the Greek [[New Testament]], with both the [[Epistle of Barnabas]] and the [[Shepherd of Hermas]] included. It is written in [[uncial]] letters on [[parchment]]. It is one of the four [[great uncial codices]] (these being manuscripts which originally contained the whole of both the Old and New Testaments). Along with [[Codex Alexandrinus]] and [[Codex Vaticanus]], it is one of the earliest and most complete manuscripts of the [[Bible]], and contains the oldest complete copy of the [[New Testament]].<ref>{{Cite web | title=Codex Sinaiticus - Home | url=https://www.codexsinaiticus.org/en/ | access-date=2022-04-14 | website=www.codexsinaiticus.org | language=en }}</ref> It is a historical treasure,<ref>{{Cite book | first1=Mursi | last1=Saad El Din | first2=Ayman | last2=Taher | first3=Luciano | last3=Romano | title=Sinai: The Site & the History | page=101 | year=1998 | publisher=New York University | location=New York | isbn=0-8147-2203-2}}</ref> and using the study of comparative writing styles ([[palaeography]]), it has been dated to the mid-fourth century.{{r|Metzger-Palaeo|pp=77-78}}

Biblical scholarship considers Codex Sinaiticus to be one of the most important Greek texts of the New Testament, along with [[Codex Vaticanus]]. Until German Biblical scholar (and manuscript hunter) [[Constantin von Tischendorf]]'s discovery of Codex Sinaiticus in 1844, the Greek text of Codex Vaticanus was unrivalled.<ref name="Scrivener">{{Cite book | first=Frederick Henry Ambrose | last=Scrivener | author-link=Frederick Henry Ambrose Scrivener | title=Six Lectures on the Text of the New Testament and the Ancient Manuscripts | year=1875 | publisher=George Bell & Sons | location=London | isbn=978-1-4097-0826-1 | url=https://archive.org/details/sixlecturesontex0000scri_f4v9/page/n5/mode/2up}}</ref>{{rp|26}} Since its discovery, study of Codex Sinaiticus has proven to be useful to scholars for [[textual criticism|critical studies]] of the biblical text.

Codex Sinaiticus came to the attention of scholars in the 19th century at [[Saint Catherine's Monastery]] in the [[Sinai Peninsula]], with further material discovered in the 20th and 21st centuries. Although parts of the [[codex]] are scattered across four libraries around the world, most of the manuscript is held today in the [[British Library]] in London, where it is on public display.<ref name="INTF">{{Cite web | url=http://intf.uni-muenster.de/vmr/NTVMR/ListeHandschriften.php?ObjID=20001 | title=Liste Handschriften | publisher=Institute for New Testament Textual Research | access-date=16 March 2013 | location=Münster }}</ref>{{r|Aland|pp=107–108}}

== Description ==
[[File:Codex Sinaiticus-small.jpg|left|thumb|[[Gospel of Luke|Luke]] 11:2 in Codex Sinaiticus]]
The manuscript is a codex (the forerunner to the modern book) made from [[vellum]] parchment, originally in double sheets, which may have measured about 40 by 70&nbsp;cm. The whole codex consists of [[Paper quire|quires]] of eight leaves (with a few exceptions), a format which came to be popular throughout the Middle Ages (this being eight parchment pages laid on top of each other, and folded in half to make a full block (also known as a [[folio]]); several of these were then stitched together to create a book).<ref>T. C. Skeat, [https://books.google.com/books?id=jTWlhe7wlN8C&pg=PA77 ''Early Christian book-production''], in: Peter R. Ackroyd & Geoffrey William Hugo Lampe (eds.) ''The Cambridge history of the Bible'' (Cambridge 1975), pp. 77–78.</ref> The folios were made primarily from calf skins, secondarily from sheep skins.<ref name="gav-moor">{{cite web| first=Gavin | last=Moorhead | url=https://codexsinaiticus.org/en/project/conservation_parchment.aspx | title=Parchment Assessment of the Codex Sinaiticus | access-date=11 May 2022 }}</ref> Tischendorf thought the parchment had been made from antelope skins, but modern microscopic examination has shown otherwise.{{r|gav-moor}} Most of the quires (or signatures) contain four sheets, save two containing five. It is estimated that the hides of about 360 animals were employed for making the folios of this codex. Each line of the text has some twelve to fourteen Greek [[uncial]] letters, arranged in four columns, 48 lines per column, with carefully chosen line breaks and slightly ragged right edges.{{r|kirsopp-sinai|p=XVI}} When opened, the eight columns thus presented to the reader have much the same appearance as the succession of columns in a papyrus roll.<ref name="Kenyon">{{Cite book | first=Frederic G. | last=Kenyon | title=Our Bible and the Ancient Manuscripts | edition=4th | year=1939 | publisher=Eyre & Spottiswoode | location=London | url=https://archive.org/stream/MN41613ucmf_0#page/n157/mode/2up}}</ref>{{rp|191}} The poetical books of the Old Testament are written [[stichometry|stichometrically]] (writing each new poetic phrase on a new line), in only two columns per page. The codex has almost 4,000,000 uncial letters.<ref group="n">It was estimated by Tischendorf and used by Scrivener in his ''Introduction to the Sinaitic Codex'' (1867) as an argument against authorship of [[Constantine Simonides|Simonides]] ([http://www.christianism.com/html/add36a2.html ‘‘Christianity’’, p. 1889.])</ref> Each rectangular page has the proportions 1.1 to 1, while the block of text has the reciprocal proportions, 0.91 (the same proportions, rotated 90°). If the gutters between the columns were removed, the text block would mirror the page's proportions. Typographer [[Robert Bringhurst]] referred to the codex as a "subtle piece of craftsmanship".<ref>{{Cite book | last=Bringhurst | first=Robert | title=The Elements of Typographic Style (version 3.0) | pages=174–75 | location=Vancouver | publisher=Hartley & Marks | year=2000 | isbn=0-88179-205-5}}.</ref> The cost of the material, copying time required for the scribes, and binding, is estimated to have equalled the lifetime wages of one individual at the time.{{r|Metzger-Palaeo}}

Throughout the New Testament portion, the words are written in ''[[scriptio continua]]'' (words without any spaces in between them) in the hand-writing style that came to be called "biblical uncial" or "biblical majuscule". The parchment was ruled with a sharp point to prepare for writing lines. The letters are written along these lines, with neither [[Greek diacritics|breathings]] nor [[Stress (linguistics)|polytonic accents]] (markings utilised to indicate changes of pitch or emphasis).<ref>{{Cite book | last=Scrivener | first=Frederick Henry Ambrose | author-link=Frederick Henry Ambrose Scrivener | title=A Full Collation of the Codex Sinaiticus with the Received Text of the New Testament | page=XIII | year=1864 | publisher=Deighton, Bell, and Co. | location=Cambridge }}</ref> A variety of types of punctuation are used: high and middle points; colon; diaeresis on initial iota and upsilon; a few [[Typographic ligature|ligatures]] are used, along with the paragraphos: initial letter into margin (extent of this varies considerably). A plain [[iota]] is replaced by the epsilon-iota diphthong almost regularly (commonly though imprecisely known as [[itacism]]), e.g. {{lang|el|ΔΑΥΕΙΔ}} instead of {{lang|el|ΔΑΥΙΔ}}, {{lang|el|ΠΕΙΛΑΤΟΣ}} instead of {{lang|el|ΠΙΛΑΤΟΣ}}, {{lang|el|ΦΑΡΕΙΣΑΙΟΙ}} instead of {{lang|el|ΦΑΡΙΣΑΙΟΙ}}, etc.{{r|Jongkind|p=74 ff, 93–94}}

[[Nomina sacra]] with [[overline]]s are employed throughout. Some words usually abbreviated in other manuscripts (such as {{lang|el|πατηρ}} and {{lang|el|δαυειδ}}), are written in both full and abbreviated forms. The following [[nomina sacra]] are written in abbreviated forms (nominative forms shown): {{overline|ΘΣ}} ({{lang|grc|θεος}} / ''god'') {{overline|ΚΣ}} ({{lang|grc|κυριος}} / ''lord'') {{overline|ΙΣ}} ({{lang|grc|Ιησους}} / ''Jesus'') {{overline|ΧΣ}} ({{lang|grc|χριστος}} / ''Christ'') {{overline|ΠΝΑ}} ({{lang|grc|πνευμα}} / ''spirit'') {{overline|ΠΝΙΚΟΣ}} ({{lang|grc|πνευματικος}} / ''spiritual'') {{overline|ΥΣ}} ({{lang|grc|υιος}} / ''son'') {{overline|ΑΝΟΣ}} ({{lang|grc|ανθρωπος}} / ''man'') {{overline|ΟΥΟΣ}} ({{lang|grc|ουρανος}} / ''heaven'') {{overline|ΔΑΔ}} ({{lang|grc|Δαυιδ}} / ''David'') {{overline|ΙΛΗΜ}} ({{lang|grc|Ιερουσαλημ}} / ''Jerusalem'') {{overline|ΙΣΡΛ}} ({{lang|grc|Ισραηλ}} / ''Israel'') {{overline|ΜΗΡ}} ({{lang|grc|μητηρ}} / ''mother'') {{overline|ΠΗΡ}} ({{lang|grc|πατηρ}} / ''father'') {{overline|ΣΩΡ}} ({{lang|grc|σωτηρ}} / ''saviour'').<ref name="Jongkind">{{Cite book | first=Dirk | last=Jongkind | title=Scribal Habits of Codex Sinaiticus | year=2007 | publisher=Gorgias Press LLC. | location=New Jersey | isbn=978-1593334222}}</ref>{{rp|22–50, 67–68}}

The portion of the codex held by the British Library consists of 346½ [[Bookbinding|folio]]s, 694 pages (38.1&nbsp;cm x 34.5&nbsp;cm), constituting over half of the original work. Of these folios, 199 belong to the Old Testament, including the [[apocrypha]] ([[deuterocanonical books|deuterocanonical]]), and 147½ belong to the New Testament, along with two other books, the [[Epistle of Barnabas]] and part of [[The Shepherd of Hermas]]. The apocryphal and [[deuterocanonical books]] present in the surviving part of the Septuagint are [[2 Esdras]], [[Book of Tobit|Tobit]], [[Judith]], [[1 Maccabees|1]] and [[4 Maccabees]], [[Book of Wisdom|Wisdom]], and [[Wisdom of Sirach|Sirach]].{{r|Metzger-Palaeo}}<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.codex-sinaiticus.net/en/codex/content.aspx | title=The Codex Sinaiticus Website | publisher=Codex-sinaiticus.net | access-date=4 February 2010 | archive-date=30 August 2009 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090830053139/http://www.codex-sinaiticus.net/en/codex/content.aspx | url-status=dead }}</ref> The books of the New Testament are arranged in this order: the four [[Gospels]], the [[Pauline epistles|epistles of Paul]] ([[Epistle to the Hebrews|Hebrews]] follows [[Second Epistle to the Thessalonians|2 Thess.]]), the [[Acts of the Apostles]],<ref group="n">Here and in [[Minuscule 69]], [[Minuscule 336]], and several other manuscripts, the Pauline epistles precede Acts.</ref> the [[General Epistles]], and the [[Book of Revelation]]. The fact that some parts of the codex are preserved in good condition while others are in very poor condition suggests they were separated and stored in several places.<ref name="Skeat-lastchap">{{Cite journal | last=Skeat | first=Theodore Cressy | title=The Last Chapter in the History of the Codex Sinaiticus | journal=Novum Testamentum | volume=XLII, 4 | issue=4 | year=2000 | pages=313–315 | publisher=Brill | doi=10.1163/156853600506708 | s2cid=162368522 }}</ref>{{rp|313–315}}

While large portions of the Old Testament are missing, it is assumed the codex originally contained the whole of both Testaments.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/sacredtexts/codexsinai.html | title=Sacred Texts: Codex Sinaiticus | website=www.bl.uk | access-date=27 January 2017 }}</ref> About half of the Greek Old Testament (or ''[[Septuagint]]'') survived, along with a complete [[New Testament]], the entire [[Deuterocanonical books]], the [[Epistle of Barnabas]] and portions of [[The Shepherd of Hermas]].<ref name="Aland">{{Cite book | last1=Aland | first1=Kurt | author-link1=Kurt Aland | first2=Barbara | last2=Aland | author-link2=Barbara Aland | others=Erroll F. Rhodes (trans.) | title=The Text of the New Testament: An Introduction to the Critical Editions and to the Theory and Practice of Modern Textual Criticism | year=1995 | publisher=[[William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company]] | location=Grand Rapids, Michigan | isbn=978-0-8028-4098-1 }}</ref>{{rp|107}}

== Text ==

=== Contents ===
[[File:Codex sinaticus (The S.S. Teacher's Edition-The Holy Bible - Plate XXII).jpg|thumb|A portion of Codex Sinaiticus, containing [[Book of Esther|Esther]]<ref>{{bibleverse||Esther|2:3–8|31}}</ref>]]
The text of the Old Testament contains the following passages in order:<ref>{{Cite book | first=Ernst | last=Würthwein | title=Der Text des Alten Testaments | edition=2nd | page=85 | year=1988 | publisher=[[Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft]] | location=Stuttgart | isbn=3-438-06006-X}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book | first=Henry Barclay | last=Swete | author-link=Henry Barclay Swete | title=An Introduction to the Old Testament in Greek | pages=129–130 | year=1902 | publisher=Macmillan and Co. | location=Cambridge | url=https://archive.org/stream/anintrotooldtes00swetuoft#page/128/mode/2up}}</ref><ref name="sinai-online">{{cite web | url=http://www.codex-sinaiticus.net/en/manuscript.aspx | title=Codex Sinaiticus - See the Manuscript &#124; Genesis | access-date=17 April 2022 | archive-date=22 November 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211122104648/http://www.codex-sinaiticus.net/en/manuscript.aspx | url-status=dead }}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
|1
|[[Book of Genesis|Genesis]] 23:19 – Genesis 24:46 – fragments
|13
|[[4 Maccabees]]
|-
|2
|[[Book of Leviticus|Leviticus]] 20:27 – Leviticus 22:30
|14
|[[Book of Isaiah]]
|-
|3
|[[Book of Numbers|Numbers]] 5:26–Numbers 7:20 – fragments
|15
|[[Book of Jeremiah]]
|-
|4
|[[Book of Deuteronomy]] - fragments
|16
|[[Book of Lamentations]]
|-
|5
|[[Book of Joshua]] - fragments
|17
|[[Minor Prophets]] (omitting [[Book of Hosea]])
|-
|6
|[[Book of Judges]] 5:7 - 11:2 + fragments
|18
|[[Book of Psalms]]
|-
|7
|[[1 Chronicles]] 9:27–1 Chronicles 19:17
|19
|[[Book of Proverbs]]
|-
|8
|[[Ezra–Nehemiah]] (from Esdr. 9:9).
|20
|[[Ecclesiastes]]
|-
|9
|[[Book of Esther]]
|21
|[[Song of Songs]]
|-
|10
|[[Book of Tobit]]
|22
|[[Wisdom of Solomon]]
|-
|11
|[[Book of Judith]]
|23
|[[Wisdom of Sirach]]
|-
|12
|[[1 Maccabees]]
|24
|[[Book of Job]]
|}

The text of the New Testament is arranged in the following order:{{r|sinai-online}}

{| class="wikitable"
|-
|1
|[[Gospel of Matthew]]
|10
|[[Epistle to the Philippians|Philippians]]
|19
|[[Acts of the Apostles|Acts]]
|-
|2
|[[Gospel of Mark]]
|11
|[[Epistle to the Colossians|Colossians]]
|20
|[[Epistle of James|James]]
|-
|3
|[[Gospel of Luke]]
|12
|[[First Epistle to the Thessalonians|1 Thessalonians]]
|21
|[[First Epistle of Peter|1 Peter]]
|-
|4
|[[Gospel of John]]
|13
|[[Second Epistle to the Thessalonians|2 Thessalonians]]
|22
|[[Second Epistle of Peter|2 Peter]]
|-
|5
|[[Epistle to the Romans|Romans]]
|14
|[[Epistle to Hebrews|Hebrews]]
|23
|[[First Epistle of John|1 John]]
|-
|6
|[[First Epistle to the Corinthians|1 Corinthians]]
|15
|[[First Epistle to Timothy|1 Timothy]]
|24
|[[Second Epistle of John|2 John]]
|-
|7
|[[Second Epistle to the Corinthians|2 Corinthians]]
|16
|[[Second Epistle to Timothy|2 Timothy]]
|25
|[[Third Epistle of John|3 John]]
|-
|8
|[[Epistle to the Galatians|Galatians]]
|17
|[[Epistle to Titus|Titus]]
|26
|[[Epistle of Jude|Jude]]
|-
|9
|[[Epistle to the Ephesians|Ephesians]]
|18
|[[Epistle to Philemon|Philemon]]
|27
|[[Book of Revelation|Revelation]] 
|}

The codex includes two other books as part of the New Testament:
:* [[Epistle of Barnabas]]
:* [[Shepherd of Hermas]]

=== Text-type and relationship to other manuscripts ===
For most of the New Testament, Codex Sinaiticus is in general agreement with ''[[Codex Vaticanus Graecus 1209|Codex Vaticanus (B)]]'' and ''[[Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus|Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus (C)]]'', attesting the [[Alexandrian text-type]].
A notable example of an agreement between the text in Sinaiticus and Vaticanus is they both omit the word εικη ('without cause', 'without reason', 'in vain') from {{bibleref|Matthew|5:22}}: "''But I say unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother '''without a cause''' shall be in danger of the judgement''".<ref group="n">The same variant is present in the Greek manuscript {{Papyrus link|64}}, noted in the margin of [[Minuscule 1424]], present in manuscripts of the [[Latin]] [[Vulgate]], the Ethiopic version, and attested by the early church fathers [[Origen]] and Jerome - NA27 p. 10.</ref>

In [[Gospel of John|John]] 1:1–8:38, Codex Sinaiticus differs from [[Codex Vaticanus|Vaticanus (B)]] and all other Alexandrian manuscripts. It is in closer agreement with ''[[Codex Bezae|Codex Bezae (D)]]'' in support of the [[Western text-type]]. For example, in {{bibleref|John|1:4}} Sinaiticus and Codex Bezae are the only Greek manuscripts with textual variant {{lang|el|ἐν αὐτῷ ζωὴ ἐστίν}} (''in him is life'') instead of {{lang|el|ἐν αὐτῷ ζωὴ ᾓν}} (''in him was life''). This variant is supported by [[Vetus Latina]] and some [[Coptic versions of the Bible#Sahidic|Sahidic]] manuscripts. This portion has a large number of corrections.<ref>{{Cite book | contributor-first1=Gordon D. | contributor-last=Fee | contributor-link=Gordon Fee | first1=Eldon J. | last1=Epp | first2=Gordon D. | last2=Fee | contribution=Codex Sinaiticus in the Gospel of John | title=Studies in the Theory and Method of New Testament Textual Criticism | pages=22–44 | year=1993 | publisher=Eerdmans | location=Michigan | isbn=9780802824301}}</ref>
There are a number of differences between Sinaiticus and Vaticanus; Textual critic [[Herman C. Hoskier]] enumerated 3036 differences :
::::Matt: 656
::::Mark: 567
::::Luke: 791
::::John: 1022
::::Total — 3036.<ref>{{Cite book | first=Herman C. | last=Hoskier | title=Codex B and Its Allies, a Study and an Indictment - Part II | page=1 | year=1914 | publisher=Bernard Quaritch | location=London | isbn=978-1375984683 | url=https://archive.org/details/codexbanditsalli02hoskuoft/page/n7/mode/2up}}</ref>

According to textual critic [[Fenton Hort]], ''Sinaiticus'' and ''Vaticanus'' were derived from a much older common source, "the date of which cannot be later than the early part of the second century, and may well be yet earlier".<ref>{{Cite book | first1= Brooke Foss | last1=Westcott | first2=Fenton John Anthony | last2=Hort | title=The New Testament in the Original Greek, Introduction and Appendix | page=223 | year=1881 | publisher=Macmillan and Co. | location=Cambridge | url=https://archive.org/details/newtestamentinor82west/page/222/mode/2up }}</ref>

Example of differences between Sinaiticus and Vaticanus in Matt 1:18–19 (one transposition difference; two spelling differences; one word substitution difference):

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Codex Sinaiticus
! Codex Vaticanus
|-
| {{lang|grc|Του δε '''{{overline|ΙΥ}} {{overline|ΧΥ}}''' η γενεσις ουτως ην <br /> μνηστευθισης της μητρος αυτου <br /> Μαριας τω Ιωσηφ πριν ην συνελθιν αυτους <br /> ευρεθη εν γαστρι εχουσα εκ {{overline|ΠΝΣ}} αγιου <br /> Ιωσηφ δε ο ανηρ αυτης δικαιος ων <br /> και μη θελων αυτην '''παρα'''διγματισαι <br /> εβουληθη λαθρα απολυσαι αυτην}}
| {{lang|grc|Του δε '''{{overline|ΧΥ}} {{overline|ΙΥ}}''' η γενεσις ουτως ην <br /> μνηστευθ'''ε'''ισης της μητρος αυτου <br /> Μαριας τω Ιωσηφ πριν ην συνελθ'''ε'''ιν αυτους <br /> ευρεθη εν γαστρι εχουσα εκ {{overline|ΠΝΣ}} αγιου <br /> Ιωσηφ δε ο ανηρ αυτης δικαιος ων <br /> και μη θελων αυτην δ'''ε'''ιγματισαι <br /> εβουληθη λαθρα απολυσαι αυτην}}
|-
! English Translation
! English Translation
|-
|Now the birth of '''Jesus Christ''' was as follows: <br />was betrothed His mother <br />Mary to Joseph. Before they had sexual intercourse, <br />she was found to be pregnant by the Holy Spirit. <br />As Joseph her husband was righteous <br />and did not want '''to publicly shame''' her, <br />he planned to divorce her quietly.
|Now the birth of '''Christ Jesus''' was as follows: <br />'''was betrothed''' His mother <br />Mary to Joseph. Before they had sexual intercourse, <br />she was found to be pregnant by the Holy Spirit. <br />As Joseph her husband was righteous <br />and did not want '''to make a show''' of her, <br />he planned to divorce her quietly.
|}

Biblical scholar [[Burnett Hillman Streeter|B. H. Streeter]] remarked there was a great agreement between the codex and the [[Vulgate]] of [[Jerome]]. According to him, [[Origen]] brought the [[Alexandrian text-type]] that was used in this codex to [[Caesarea Maritima|Caesarea]], and it was subsequently employed by Jerome for his Latin revision.<ref name="Streeter">{{Cite book | first=Burnett Hillman | last=Streeter | author-link=Burnett Hillman Streeter | title=The Four Gospels: a Study of Origins treating of the Manuscript Tradition, Sources, Authorship, & Dates | pages=590–597 | year=1924 | publisher=Macmillan and Co. | location=London| url=https://archive.org/details/fourgospelsstudy0000stre }}</ref>

Between the 4th and 12th centuries, seven or more correctors worked on this codex, making it one of the most corrected manuscripts in existence.<ref name="scribes-corr">{{Cite book | first1=H. J. M. | last1=Milne | first2=Theodore Cressy | last2=Skeat | author-link2=T. C. Skeat | title=Scribes and Correctors of the Codex Sinaiticus | year=1938 | publisher=Trustees of the British Museum | location=London | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=I4dbAAAAMAAJ }}</ref> During his investigation in Petersburg, Tischendorf enumerated 14,800 corrections in the portion which was only held in Petersburg (2/3 of the codex).<ref name="Metzger-Palaeo">{{Cite book | first=Bruce Manning | last=Metzger | author-link=Bruce Metzger | title=Manuscripts of the Greek Bible: An Introduction to Greek Palaeography | page=77 | year=1991 | publisher=Oxford University Press | location=Oxford | isbn=978-0-19-502924-6}}</ref> According to textual critic [[David C. Parker]], the full codex has about 23,000 corrections.{{r|Parker|p=3}} In addition to these corrections some letters were marked by dots as doubtful (e.g. ṪḢ).

===Notable omissions===
[[File:Adulterae.JPG|thumb|John 7:52–8:12 without the pericope 7:53–8:11 in ''Sinaiticus'']]
The New Testament portion lacks the following passages:
: <u>Omitted verses</u>
:* [[Gospel of Matthew|Gospel of]] {{bibleref|Matthew|12:47}} - '''{{larger|{{script|Hebr|א}}}}*''' [[Codex Vaticanus Graecus 1209|B]] [[Codex Regius (New Testament)|L]] [[Codex Tischendorfianus IV|Γ]] [[Codex Corbeiensis I|ff{{sup|1}}]] k [[Syriac versions of the Bible#Old Syriac version|sy{{sup|s}}]][[Syriac versions of the Bible#Later Syriac versions|{{sup|, c}}]] [[Coptic versions of the Bible#Sahidic|sa]]{{r|na26|p=32}}
::: {{bibleref|Matthew|16:2b-3}} - '''{{larger|{{script|Hebr|א}}}}''' [[Codex Vaticanus Graecus 1209|B]] [[Family 13|ƒ{{sup|13}}]] [[Minuscule 157|157]] [[Syriac versions of the Bible#Later Syriac versions|sy{{sup|c}}]] [[Coptic versions of the Bible#Sahidic|sa]] [[Coptic versions of the Bible#Bohairic|bo]]<ref name="text-com">{{Cite book | first=Bruce Manning | last=Metzger| author-link=Bruce M. Metzger  | title=A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament | edition=2nd | year=1994 | publisher=Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft; United Bible Societies | location=Stuttgart | isbn=978-3-438-06010-5 }}</ref>{{rp|33}}
::: {{bibleref|Matthew|17:21}} - '''{{larger|{{script|Hebr|א}}}}*''' [[Codex Vaticanus Graecus 1209|B]] [[Codex Koridethi|Θ]] [[Uncial 0281|0281]] [[Minuscule 33|33]] [[Minuscule 579|579]] [[Minuscule 892|892]]* e [[Codex Corbeiensis I|ff{{sup|1}}]] [[Syriac versions of the Bible#Old Syriac version|sy{{sup|s}}]][[Syriac versions of the Bible#Later Syriac versions|{{sup|, c}}]] [[Coptic versions of the Bible#Sahidic|sa]] [[Coptic versions of the Bible#Bohairic|bo]]{{sup|pt}}{{r|na26|p=48}}
::: {{bibleref|Matthew|18:11}} - '''{{larger|{{script|Hebr|א}}}}''' [[Codex Vaticanus Graecus 1209|B]] [[Codex Regius (New Testament)|L]]* [[Codex Koridethi|Θ]]* [[Family 1|ƒ{{sup|1}}]] [[Family 13|ƒ{{sup|13}}]] [[Minuscule 33|33]] [[Minuscule 892|892]]* e [[Codex Corbeiensis I|ff{{sup|1}}]] [[Syriac versions of the Bible#Old Syriac version|sy{{sup|s}}]] [[Coptic versions of the Bible#Sahidic|sa]] [[Coptic versions of the Bible#Bohairic|bo]]{{sup|pt}}{{r|na26|p=49}}
::: {{bibleref|Matthew|23:14}} - '''{{larger|{{script|Hebr|א}}}}''' [[Codex Vaticanus Graecus 1209|B]] [[Codex Bezae|D]] [[Codex Regius (New Testament)|L]] [[Codex Koridethi|Θ]] [[Family 1|ƒ{{sup|1}}]] [[Minuscule 33|33]] [[Minuscule 892|892]]* [[Codex Vercellensis|a]] aur e [[Codex Corbeiensis I|ff{{sup|1}}]] [[Codex Sangermanensis I|g{{sup|1}}]] vg{{sup|st, ww}} [[Syriac versions of the Bible#Old Syriac version|sy{{sup|s}}]] [[Coptic versions of the Bible#Sahidic|sa]] [[Coptic versions of the Bible#Bohairic|bo]]{{sup|pt}}{{r|na26|p=65}}
:* [[Gospel of Mark]] {{bibleref|Mark|7:16}} - '''{{larger|{{script|Hebr|א}}}}''' [[Codex Vaticanus Graecus 1209|B]] [[Codex Regius (New Testament)|L]] [[Codex Sangallensis 48|Δ]]*{{r|text-com|p=81}}
::: {{bibleref|Mark|9:44}} - '''{{larger|{{script|Hebr|א}}}}''' [[Codex Vaticanus Graecus 1209|B]] [[Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus|C]] [[Codex Washingtonianus|W]] k [[Syriac versions of the Bible#Old Syriac version|sy{{sup|s}}]] [[Coptic versions of the Bible#Sahidic|sa]]{{r|text-com|p=86}}
::: {{bibleref|Mark|9:46}} - '''{{larger|{{script|Hebr|א}}}}''' [[Codex Vaticanus Graecus 1209|B]] [[Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus|C]] [[Codex Washingtonianus|W]] k [[Syriac versions of the Bible#Old Syriac version|sy{{sup|s}}]] [[Coptic versions of the Bible#Sahidic|sa]]{{r|text-com|p=87}}
::: {{bibleref|Mark|11:26}} - '''{{larger|{{script|Hebr|א}}}}''' [[Codex Vaticanus Graecus 1209|B]] [[Codex Regius (New Testament)|L]] [[Codex Washingtonianus|W]] [[Codex Sangallensis 48|Δ]] [[Codex Athous Lavrensis|Ψ]] [[Minuscule 565|565]] [[Minuscule 700|700]] [[Minuscule 892|892]] k l [[Syriac versions of the Bible#Old Syriac version|sy{{sup|s}}]] [[Coptic versions of the Bible#Sahidic|sa]] [[Coptic versions of the Bible#Bohairic|bo]]{{sup|pt}}{{r|na26|p=128}}
::: {{bibleref|Mark|15:28}} - '''{{larger|{{script|Hebr|א}}}}''' [[Codex Alexandrinus|A]] [[Codex Vaticanus Graecus 1209|B]] [[Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus|C]] [[Codex Bezae|D]] [[Codex Athous Lavrensis|Ψ]] k [[Syriac versions of the Bible#Old Syriac version|sy{{sup|s}}]] [[Coptic versions of the Bible#Sahidic|sa]] [[Coptic versions of the Bible#Bohairic|bo]]{{sup|pt}}{{r|na26|p=144}}
::: [[Mark 16|Mark 16:9–20]] (Long ending of the Gospel Mark) - '''{{larger|{{script|Hebr|א}}}}''' [[Codex Vaticanus Graecus 1209|B]] k [[Syriac versions of the Bible#Old Syriac version|sy{{sup|s}}]] arm{{r|text-com|pp=102–106}}
:* [[Gospel of Luke]] {{bibleref|Luke|10:32}} - '''{{larger|{{script|Hebr|א}}}}*''' (Likely omitted due to [[haplography]] resulting from [[homeoteleuton]]; the verse was added by a later corrector in lower margin){{r|text-com|p=128}}
::: {{bibleref|Luke|17:36}} - '''{{larger|{{script|Hebr|א}}}}''' {{papyrus link|75}} [[Codex Alexandrinus|A]] [[Codex Vaticanus Graecus 1209|B]] [[Codex Regius (New Testament)|L]] [[Codex Washingtonianus|W]] [[Codex Sangallensis 48|Δ]] [[Codex Koridethi|Θ]] [[Codex Athous Lavrensis|Ψ]] [[Family 1|ƒ{{sup|1}}]] [[Minuscule 28|28]] [[Minuscule 33|33]] [[Minuscule 565|565]]{{r|text-com|pp=142–143}}
:* [[Gospel of John|Gospel of]] {{bibleref|John|5:4}} - '''{{larger|{{script|Hebr|א}}}}''' {{papyrus link|66}} {{papyrus link|75}} [[Codex Vaticanus Graecus 1209|B]] [[Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus|C]]* [[Codex Bezae|D]] [[Codex Washingtonianus|W]]{{sup|supp}} [[Minuscule 33]] d l q [[Latin Vulgate|vg]] [[Syriac versions of the Bible#Later Syriac versions|sy{{sup|c}}]] [[Coptic versions of the Bible#Sahidic|sa]] [[Coptic versions of the Bible#Bohairic|bo]]{{sup|mss}}{{r|text-com|p=179}}
::: {{bibleref|John|7:53–8:11}} [[Jesus and the woman taken in adultery|(Pericope adulterae)]] - '''{{larger|{{script|Hebr|א}}}}''' {{papyrus link|66}} {{papyrus link|75}} [[Codex Vaticanus Graecus 1209|B]] [[Codex Regius (New Testament)|L]] [[Codex Petropolitanus Purpureus|N]] [[Codex Borgianus|T]] [[Codex Washingtonianus|W]] [[Codex Monacensis (X 033)|X]] [[Codex Macedoniensis|Y]] [[Codex Sangallensis 48|Δ]] [[Codex Koridethi|Θ]] [[Codex Athous Lavrensis|Ψ]] [[Uncial 0141|0141]] [[Uncial 0211|0211]] [[Minuscule 22|22]] [[Minuscule 33|33]] [[Minuscule 124|124]] [[Minuscule 157|157]] [[Minuscule 209|209]] [[Minuscule 788|788]] [[Minuscule 828|828]] [[Minuscule 1230|1230]] [[Minuscule 1241|1241]] [[Minuscule 1253|1253]] [[Minuscule 2193|2193]] (see Image "John 7:53–8:11");{{r|text-com|pp=187–189}}
:* [[Acts of the Apostles|The Book of]] {{bibleref|Acts|8:37}} - '''{{larger|{{script|Hebr|א}}}}''' {{Papyrus link|45}} {{Papyrus link|74}} [[Codex Alexandrinus|A]] [[Codex Vaticanus Graecus 1209|B]] [[Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus|C]] [[Minuscule 33|33]] [[Minuscule 81|81]] [[Minuscule 614|614]] [[Vulgate|vg]] [[Peshitta|sy{{sup|p}}]][[Syriac versions of the Bible#Later Syriac versions|{{sup|, h}}]] [[Coptic versions of the Bible#Sahidic|sa]] [[Coptic versions of the Bible#Bohairic|bo]] [[Bible translations into Geʽez|eth]]{{r|text-com|p=315}}
::: {{bibleref|Acts|15:34}} - '''{{larger|{{script|Hebr|א}}}}''' {{papyrus link|74}} [[Codex Alexandrinus|A]] [[Codex Vaticanus Graecus 1209|B]] [[Codex Laudianus|E]] [[Codex Angelicus|L]] [[Codex Athous Lavrensis|Ψ]] [[Minuscule 81|81]] [[Minuscule 1241|1241]] [[Minuscule 1505|1505]] [[Byzantine text-type|Byz]]{{r|na26|p=387}}
::: {{bibleref|Acts|24:7}} - '''{{larger|{{script|Hebr|א}}}}''' {{papyrus link|74}} [[Codex Alexandrinus|A]] [[Codex Vaticanus Graecus 1209|B]] [[Codex Mutinensis|H]] [[Codex Angelicus|L]] [[Codex Porphyrianus|P]] [[Uncial 049|049]] [[Minuscule 81|81]] [[Minuscule 1175|1175]] [[Minuscule 1241|1241]] p* s vg{{sup|st}} [[Coptic versions of the Bible|co]]{{r|na26|p=395}}
::: {{bibleref|Acts|28:29}} - '''{{larger|{{script|Hebr|א}}}}''' {{papyrus link|74}} [[Codex Alexandrinus|A]] [[Codex Vaticanus Graecus 1209|B]] [[Codex Laudianus|E]] [[Codex Athous Lavrensis|Ψ]] [[Uncial 048|048]] [[Minuscule 33|33]] [[Minuscule 81|81]] [[Minuscule 1175|1175]] [[Minuscule 1739|1739]] [[Minuscule 2464|2464]] s vg{{sup|st}} [[Peshitta|sy{{sup|p}}]] [[Coptic versions of the Bible|co]]{{r|na26|p=408}}
:* [[Epistle to the Romans|Epistle of Paul to the]] {{bibleref|Romans|16:24}} - '''{{larger|{{script|Hebr|א}}}}''' {{Papyrus link|46}} {{Papyrus link|61}} [[Codex Alexandrinus|A]] [[Codex Vaticanus Graecus 1209|B]] [[Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus|C]] [[Minuscule 81|81]] [[Minuscule 1739|1739]] [[Minuscule 2464|2464]] [[Codex Veronensis|b]] vg{{sup|st}} [[Coptic versions of the Bible|co]]{{r|na26|p=440}}
[[File:Codex Sinaiticus Matthew 6,4-32.JPG|thumb|right|220px|Page of the codex with text of Matthew 6:4–32]]
: <u>Omitted phrases</u>
:* [[Matthew 5:44]]: {{lang|el|εὐλογεῖτε τοὺς καταρωμένους ὑμᾶς, καλῶς ποιεῖτε τοῖς μισοῦσιν ὑμᾶς}} (''bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you'') - '''{{larger|{{script|Hebr|א}}}}''' [[Codex Vaticanus Graecus 1209|B]] [[Family 1|ƒ{{sup|1}}]] [[Minuscule 205|205]] k [[Syriac versions of the Bible#Later Syriac versions|sy{{sup|c}}]] [[Coptic versions of the Bible#Sahidic|sa]] [[Coptic versions of the Bible#Bohairic|bo]]{{sup|pt}}<ref name="ubs3">{{Cite book| title=The Greek New Testament | editor-first1=Kurt | editor-last1=Aland | editor1-link=Kurt Aland | editor-first2=Matthew | editor-last2=Black | editor2-link=Matthew Black | editor-first3=Carlo M. | editor-last3=Martini | editor3-link=Carlo Maria Martini | editor-first4=Bruce M. | editor-last4=Metzger | editor4-link=Bruce Metzger | editor-first5=Allen | editor-last5=Wikgren | editor5-link=Allen Wikgren | publisher=United Bible Societies | edition=3rd | location=Stuttgart |year=1983}} [UBS3]</ref>{{rp|16}}
:* {{bibleref|Matthew|6:13}}: {{lang|el|ὅτι σοῦ ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία καὶ ἡ δύναμις καὶ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. ἀμήν}} (''For Yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.'') - '''{{larger|{{script|Hebr|א}}}}''' [[Codex Vaticanus Graecus 1209|B]] [[Codex Bezae|D]] [[Codex Dublinensis|Z]] [[Uncial 0170|0170]] [[Family 1|ƒ{{sup|1}}]] [[Minuscule 205|205]] l547 a aur [[Codex Veronensis|b]] c [[Codex Corbeiensis I|ff{{sup|1}}]] [[Codex Veronensis|b]] 1 [[Latin Vulgate|vg]] [[Coptic versions of the Bible#Middle Egypt|meg]] [[Coptic versions of the Bible#Bohairic|bo]]{{sup|pt}} [[Diatessaron#Diatessaron in Syriac Christianity|diat{{sup|syr}}]]{{r|ubs3|p=18}}
:* {{bibleref|Matthew|10:39}}: {{lang|el|ο ευρων την ψυχην αυτου απολεσει αυτην, και}} (''Ηe who finds his life will lose it, and'') - '''{{larger|{{script|Hebr|א}}}}*''' (singular reading)<ref name="na26">{{Cite book | title=Nestle-Aland Novum Testamentum Graece | editor-first1=Kurt | editor-last1=Aland | editor1-link=Kurt Aland | editor-first2=Matthew | editor-last2=Black | editor2-link=Matthew Black | editor-first3=Carlo M. | editor-last3=Martini | editor3-link=Carlo Maria Martini | editor-first4=Bruce M. | editor-last4=Metzger | editor4-link=Bruce Metzger | editor-first5=Allen | editor-last5=Wikgren | editor5-link=Allen Wikgren | year=1981 | publisher=Deutsche Bibelstiftung | location=Stuttgart | isbn=3-438-051001 | edition=26}} [NA26]</ref>{{rp|26}}
:* {{bibleref|Matthew|15:6}}: {{lang|el|η την μητερα}} ({{lang|el|αυτου}}) (''or (his) mother'') - '''{{larger|{{script|Hebr|א}}}}''' [[Codex Vaticanus Graecus 1209|B]] [[Codex Bezae|D]] [[Codex Vercellensis|a]] c [[Syriac versions of the Bible#Later Syriac versions|sy{{sup|c}}]] [[Coptic versions of the Bible#Sahidic|sa]] {{r|na26|p=41}}
:* {{bibleref|Matthew|20:23}}: {{lang|el|και το βαπτισμα ο εγω βαπτιζομαι βαπτισθησεσθε}} (''and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with'') - '''{{larger|{{script|Hebr|א}}}}''' [[Codex Vaticanus Graecus 1209|B]] [[Codex Bezae|D]] [[Codex Regius (New Testament)|L]] [[Codex Dublinensis|Z]] [[Codex Koridethi|Θ]] [[Uncial 085|084]] [[Family 1|ƒ{{sup|1}}]] [[Family 13|ƒ{{sup|13}}]] [[Vetus Latina|lat]] [[Syriac versions of the Bible#Old Syriac version|sy{{sup|s}}]][[Syriac versions of the Bible#Later Syriac versions|{{sup|, c}}]] [[Coptic versions of the Bible#Sahidic|sa]] [[Coptic versions of the Bible#Bohairic|bo]]{{sup|pt}}{{r|na26|p=56}}
:* {{bibleref|Matthew|23:35}}: {{lang|el|υιου βαραχιου}} (''son of Barachi'ah'') - '''{{larger|{{script|Hebr|א}}}}''' [[Minuscule 59|59]]* [[Lectionary 6|'''ℓ''' ''6'']] [[Lectionary 13|'''ℓ''' ''13'']] [[Lectionary 185|'''ℓ''' ''185'']], [[Eusebius|Eus]]<ref>{{cite book | last=Scrivener | first=Frederick Henry Ambrose | author-link=Frederick Henry Ambrose Scrivener | author2=Edward Miller | title=A Plain Introduction to the Criticism of the New Testament | edition=4 | volume=1 | page=342 | year=1894 | publisher=[[George Bell & Sons]] | location=London | title-link=A Plain Introduction to the Criticism of the New Testament }}</ref>
:* {{bibleref|Mark|1:1}}: {{lang|el|υιου θεου}} (''the Son of God'') - '''{{larger|{{script|Hebr|א}}}}''' [[Codex Koridethi|Θ]] [[Minuscule 28|28]]{{sup|c}} [[Lectionary 2211|'''ℓ''' ''2211'']] [[Peshitta|sy{{sup|p}}]] sa{{sup|ms}} arm geo{{sup|1}}{{r|ubs3|p=118}}
:* {{bibleref|Mark|10:7}}: {{lang|el|και προσκολληθησεται προς την γυναικα αυτου}} (''and be joined to his wife'') - '''{{larger|{{script|Hebr|א}}}}''' [[Codex Vaticanus Graecus 1209|B]] [[Codex Athous Lavrensis|Ψ]] [[Minuscule 892|892]] [[Lectionary 48|'''ℓ''' ''48'']] [[Syriac versions of the Bible#Old Syriac version|sy{{sup|s}}]] goth{{r|ubs3|p=164}}
:* {{bibleref|Luke|9:55-56}}: {{lang|el|καὶ εἶπεν, Οὐκ οἴδατε ποίου πνεύματος ἐστὲ ὑμεῖς; ὁ γὰρ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου οὐκ ἦλθεν ψυχὰς ἀνθρώπων ἀπολέσαι ἀλλὰ σῶσαι}} (''and He said: "You do not know what manner of spirit you are of; for the Son of man came not to destroy men's lives but to save them'') - '''{{larger|{{script|Hebr|א}}}}''' {{Papyrus link|45}} {{Papyrus link|75}} [[Codex Vaticanus|B]] [[Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus|C]] [[Codex Regius (New Testament)|L]] [[Codex Koridethi|Θ]] [[Codex Zacynthius|Ξ]] [[Minuscule 33|33]] [[Minuscule 700|700]] [[Minuscule 892|892]] [[Minuscule 1241|1241]] [[Syriac versions of the Bible|sy]] [[Coptic versions of the Bible#Bohairic|bo]]{{r|na26|p=190}}
:* {{bibleref|John|4:9}}: {{lang|el|ου γαρ συνχρωνται Ιουδαιοι Σαμαριταις}} (''Jews have no dealings with Samaritans'') - '''{{larger|{{script|Hebr|א}}}}*''' [[Codex Bezae|D]] [[Codex Vercellensis|a]] [[Codex Veronensis|b]] [[Codex Palatinus|e]] [[Codex Purpureus Sarzanensis|j]] [[Coptic versions of the Bible#Middle Egypt|fay]] ({{larger|{{script|Hebr|א}}}}{{sup|c}} includes the phrase){{r|ubs3|p=333}} {{r|na26|p=256}}

Some passages/phrases were excluded by the correctors:
[[File:Codex Sinaiticus John 21,7.JPG|thumb|right|250px|Additional phrase to John 21:6 on the margin – οι δε ειπον δι οληϲ τηϲ νυκτοϲ εκοπιαϲαμεν και ουδεν ελαβομεν επι δε τω ϲω ρηματι βαλουμεν]]
:* {{bibleref|Matthew|24:36}}: {{lang|el|ουδε ο υιος}} (''nor the Son'') - included by the original scribe (as also in [[Codex Vaticanus Graecus 1209|B]] [[Codex Bezae|D]] [[Family 13|ƒ{{sup|13}}]] [[Minuscule 28|28]] [[Minuscule 1505|1505]] [[Lectionary 547|'''ℓ''' ''547'']] [[Codex Vercellensis|a]] aur [[Codex Veronensis|b]] c d f [[Codex Corbeiensis I|ff{{sup|1}}]] [[Codex Corbeiensis II|ff{{sup|2}}]] h q r [[Latin Vulgate|vg]]{{sup|mss}} [[Peshitta|sy{{sup|p}}]] arm [[Bible translations into Geʽez|eth]] geo{{sup|1}} [[Diatessaron|Diat]]), marked by the first corrector (a) as doubtful (omitted also in [[Codex Regius (New Testament)|L]] [[Codex Washingtonianus|W]] [[Codex Sangallensis 48|Δ]] [[Family 1|ƒ{{sup|1}}]] [[Minuscule 33|33]] [[Minuscule 157|157]] [[Minuscule 579|579]] [[Minuscule 700|700]] [[Minuscule 892|892]] [[Minuscule 1424|1424]] and majority of manuscripts), but the second corrector (b) removed the mark.{{r|ubs3|p=95}}
:* {{bibleref|Mark|10:40}}: {{lang|el|υπο του πατρος μου}} (''by my Father'') - included by the original scribe (as also in [[Codex Koridethi|Θ]] [[Family 1|ƒ{{sup|1}}]] [[Minuscule 205|205]] [[Minuscule 1071|1071]] [[Minuscule 1241|1241]] [[Minuscule 1505|1505]] [[Codex Vercellensis|a]] r1 [[Syriac versions of the Bible#Later Syriac versions|sy{{sup|h(mg)}}]] [[Coptic versions of the Bible#Bohairic|bo]]{{sup|ms}} [[Bible translations into Geʽez|eth]]), marked by the first corrector as doubtful (omitted also in [[Codex Alexandrinus|A]] [[Codex Vaticanus Graecus 1209|B]] [[Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus|C]] [[Codex Bezae|D]] [[Codex Regius (New Testament)|L]] [[Codex Washingtonianus|W]] [[Codex Sangallensis 48|Δ]] [[Codex Athous Lavrensis|Ψ]] [[Family 13|ƒ{{sup|13}}]] [[Minuscule 157|157]] and majority of manuscripts), but the second corrector removed the mark.{{r|ubs3|p=163}}
:* {{bibleref|Luke|11:4}}: {{lang|el|ἀλλὰ ῥῦσαι ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ τοῦ πονηροῦ}} (''but deliver us from evil'') - included by the original scribe (as also in [[Codex Alexandrinus|A]] [[Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus|C]] [[Codex Bezae|D]] [[Codex Washingtonianus|W]] [[Codex Sangallensis 48|Δ]] [[Codex Koridethi|Θ]] [[Codex Athous Lavrensis|Ψ]] [[Family 13|ƒ{{sup|13}}]] [[Minuscule 28|28]] [[Minuscule 157|157]] and majority of manuscripts), marked by the first corrector as doubtful (omitted also in {{papyrus link|75}} [[Codex Vaticanus Graecus 1209|B]] [[Codex Regius (New Testament)|L]] [[Minuscule 1|1]] [[Minuscule 700|700]] [[Minuscule 1342|1342]] [[Latin Vulgate|vg]] [[Syriac versions of the Bible#Old Syriac version|sy{{sup|s}}]] [[Coptic versions of the Bible#Sahidic|sa]] [[Coptic versions of the Bible#Bohairic|bo]]{{sup|pt}} arm geo), but the third corrector (c) removed the mark.{{r|ubs3|p=248}}
:* {{bibleref|Luke|22:43–44}}: ([[Christ's agony at Gethsemane]]) – included by the original scribe (as also in [[Codex Bezae|D]] [[Codex Regius (New Testament)|L]] [[Codex Sangallensis 48|Δ]] [[Codex Koridethi|Θ]] [[Codex Athous Lavrensis|Ψ]] [[Uncial 0233|0233]] [[Family 1|ƒ{{sup|1}}]] [[Minuscule 157|157]] [[Minuscule 700|700]] and majority of manuscripts), marked by the first corrector as doubtful (omitted also in {{papyrus link|69}}{{sup|(vid)}} {{papyrus link|75}} [[Codex Alexandrinus|A]] [[Codex Vaticanus Graecus 1209|B]] [[Codex Petropolitanus Purpureus|N]] [[Codex Borgianus|T]] [[Codex Washingtonianus|W]] [[Minuscule 579|579]] f [[Syriac versions of the Bible#Old Syriac version|sy{{sup|s}}]] [[Coptic versions of the Bible#Sahidic|sa]] [[Coptic versions of the Bible#Bohairic|bo]]{{sup|pt}} arm geo), but the third corrector removed the mark.{{r|ubs3|p=305}}
:* [[Sayings of Jesus on the cross#Father forgive them, for they know not what they do|Luke 23:34a]]: ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς ἔλεγεν Πάτερ ἄφες αὐτοῖς οὐ γὰρ οἴδασιν τί ποιοῦσιν (''Then Jesus said, 'Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do''') – included by the original scribe (as also in [[Codex Alexandrinus|A]] [[Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus|C]] [[Codex Bezae|D]]{{sup|2}} [[Codex Regius (New Testament)|L]] [[Codex Athous Lavrensis|Ψ]] [[Uncial 0250|0250]] [[Family 1|ƒ{{sup|1}}]] [[Minuscule 33|33]] and majority of manuscripts), marked by the first corrector as doubtful (omitted also in {{papyrus link|75}} [[Codex Vaticanus Graecus 1209|B]] [[Codex Bezae|D]]* [[Codex Koridethi|Θ]] [[Uncial 070|070]] [[Minuscule 579|579]] [[Minuscule 1241|1241]] [[Codex Vercellensis|a]] [[Syriac versions of the Bible#Old Syriac version|sy{{sup|s}}]] [[Coptic versions of the Bible#Sahidic|sa]] [[Coptic versions of the Bible#Bohairic|bo]]{{sup|pt}}), but a third corrector removed the mark.{{r|na26|p=239}}

=== Additions ===
[[Matthew 8:13]] (see {{bibleref|Luke|7:10}})
: {{lang|el|καὶ ὑποστρέψας ὁ ἑκατόνταρχος εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ ὦρᾳ εὗρεν τὸν παῖδα ὑγιαίνοντα}} (''and when the centurion returned to the house in that hour, he found the slave well'') - '''{{larger|{{script|Hebr|א}}}}''' [[Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus|C]] ([[Codex Petropolitanus Purpureus|N]]) [[Codex Koridethi|Θ]] ([[Uncial 0250|0250]]) [[Family 1|ƒ{{sup|1}}]] ([[Minuscule 33|33]] [[Minuscule 1241|1241]]) [[Codex Sangermanensis I|g{{sup|1}}]] [[Syriac versions of the Bible#Later Syriac versions|sy{{sup|h}}]]{{r|na26|p=18}}

[[Matthew 10:12]] (see {{bibleref|Luke|10:5}})
: {{lang|el|λέγοντες εἰρήνη τῷ οἴκῳ τούτῳ}} (''say peace to be this house'' - the reading was deleted by the first corrector, but the second corrector restored it) - '''{{larger|{{script|Hebr|א}}}}{{sup|1}}''' [[Codex Bezae|D]] [[Codex Regius (New Testament)|L]] [[Codex Washingtonianus|W]] [[Codex Koridethi|Θ]] [[Family 1|ƒ{{sup|1}}]] [[Minuscule 22|22]] [[Minuscule 1010|1010]] ([[Minuscule 1424|1424]]) it vg{{sup|cl}}.<ref>''[[Editio octava critica maior]]'', p. 49</ref>{{r|na26|p=24}}

[[Matthew 27:49]] (see {{bibleref|John|19:34}})
: {{lang|el|ἄλλος δὲ λαβὼν λόγχην ἔνυξεν αὐτοῦ τὴν πλευράν, καὶ ἐξῆλθεν ὕδορ καὶ αἷμα}} (''the other took a spear and pierced His side, and immediately came out water and blood'') - '''{{larger|{{script|Hebr|א}}}}''' [[Codex Vaticanus|B]] [[Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus|C]] [[Codex Regius (New Testament)|L]].{{r|text-com|p=59}}

=== Unique and other textual variants ===
[[File:Codex Sinaiticus Paralipomenon 9,27-10,11.JPG|thumb|right|200px|Page from facsimile edition (1862); 1 Chr 9:27–10:11]]

[[Matthew 7:22]]
: {{lang|el|πολλα}} (''numerous'' - "and cast out '''numerous''' demons in your name?") - '''{{larger|{{script|Hebr|א}}}}''' (singular reading){{r|na26|p=17}}

[[Matthew 8:12]]
: {{lang|el|ἐξελεύσονται}} (''will go out'') - '''{{larger|{{script|Hebr|א}}}}''' [[Uncial 0250|0250]] [[Codex Bobiensis|k]] [[Syriac versions of the Bible|sy]] arm [[Diatessaron]].{{r|ubs3|p=26}}

[[Matthew 13:54]]
: {{lang|el|εις την αντιπατριδα αυτου}} (''to his own [[Antipatris]]'') - '''{{larger|{{script|Hebr|א}}}}''' (singular reading)

{{bibleref|Acts|8:5}}
: {{lang|el|εις την πολιν της}} [[Caesarea Maritima|Καισαριας]] (''to the city of [[Caesarea Maritima|Caesarea]]'') - '''{{larger|{{script|Hebr|א}}}}''' (singular reading).

[[Matthew 16:12]]
: {{lang|el|της ζυμης των αρτων των Φαρισαιων και Σαδδουκαιων}} (''leaven of bread of the Pharisees and Sadducees'') - '''{{larger|{{script|Hebr|א}}}}''' [[Codex Corbeiensis I|ff{{sup|1}}]] [[Curetonian Gospels|sy{{sup|c}}]]

{{bibleref|Luke|1:26}}
: {{lang|el|Ιουδαιας}} (''Judaea'') – '''{{larger|{{script|Hebr|א}}}}''' (singular reading)

{{bibleref|Luke|2:37}}
: {{lang|el|εβδομηκοντα}} (''seventy'') - '''{{larger|{{script|Hebr|א}}}}''' (singular reading){{r|na26|p=158}}

{{bibleref|John|1:28}}
: {{lang|el|Βηθαραβα}} (''Betharaba'' - a correction by the second corrector; originally reads Βηθανια (''Bethany'') ) - '''{{larger|{{script|Hebr|א}}}}''' [[Minuscule 892|892]] [[Syriac versions of the Bible#Later Syriac versions|sy{{sup|h(mg)}}]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bibletranslation.ws/trans/john.pdf |title=BibleTranslation.ws |access-date=4 February 2010}}</ref>

{{bibleref|John|1:34}}
: {{lang|el|ὁ ἐκλεκτός}} (''chosen one'') - '''{{larger|{{script|Hebr|א}}}}''' {{Papyrus link|5}} {{Papyrus link|106}} [[Codex Veronensis|b]] [[Codex Laudianus|e]] [[Codex Corbeiensis II|ff{{sup|2}}]] [[Curetonian Gospels|sy{{sup|c}}]][[Syriac Sinaiticus|{{sup|, s}}]]

{{bibleref|John|2:3}}
: {{lang|el|οινον ουκ ειχον οτι συνετελεσθη ο οινος του γαμου}} (''they had no wine, because the wine of the marriage feast was finished'') - '''{{larger|{{script|Hebr|א}}}}''' [[Codex Vercellensis|a]] [[Codex Purpureus Sarzanensis|j]]

{{bibleref|John|6:10}}
: {{lang|el|τρισχιλιοι}} (''three thousands'') - '''{{larger|{{script|Hebr|א}}}}*''' (singular reading). Amended to {{lang|el|πεντακισχιλιοι}} (''five thousand'') by the second corrector.{{r|na26|p=264}}

{{bibleref|Acts|11:20}}
: {{lang|el|εὐαγγελιστας}} (''Evangelists'') - '''{{larger|{{script|Hebr|א}}}}''' (singular reading){{r|Scrivener|p=47}}

{{bibleref|Acts|14:9}}
: {{lang|el|ουκ ηκουσεν}} (''not heard'') - '''{{larger|{{script|Hebr|א}}}}''' (singular reading){{r|Scrivener|p=47}}

{{bibleref|Hebrews|2:4}}
: {{lang|el|θερισμοις}} (''harvests'') - '''{{larger|{{script|Hebr|א}}}}''' (singular reading){{r|Scrivener|p=47}}

{{bibleref|1 Peter|5:13}}
: {{lang|el|εκκλησια}} (''Church'') - '''{{larger|{{script|Hebr|א}}}}''' [[Vulgate|vg]]{{sup|mss}} [[Peshitta|sy{{sup|p}}]]{{r|Scrivener|p=47}}

{{bibleref|2 Timothy|4:10}}
: {{lang|el|Γαλλιαν}} (''Gaul'') - '''{{larger|{{script|Hebr|א}}}}''' [[Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus|C]] [[Minuscule 81|81]] [[Minuscule 104|104]] [[Minuscule 326|326]] [[Minuscule 436|436]]{{r|ubs3|p=737}}

=== Variants in agreement with the "majority text" ===
{{bibleref|Mark|10:19}}
: {{lang|el|μη αποστερησης}} (''do not defraud'')
::incl. - '''{{larger|{{script|Hebr|א}}}}''' [[Codex Vaticanus|B]]{{sup|(c2)}} Majority of manuscripts
::omit - [[Codex Vaticanus|B*]] [[Codex Cyprius|K]] [[Codex Washingtonianus|W]] [[Codex Athous Lavrensis|Ψ]] [[Family 1|''f''{{sup|1}}]] [[Family 13|''f''{{sup|13}}]] [[Minuscule 28|28]] [[Minuscule 700|700]] 1010 1079 1242 1546 2148 [[Lectionary 10|'''ℓ''' ''10'']] [[Lectionary 950|'''ℓ''' ''950'']] '''ℓ''' ''1642'' '''ℓ''' ''1761'' [[Syriac versions of the Bible#Old Syriac version|sy{{sup|s}}]] arm geo.{{r|ubs3|p=165}}

{{bibleref|Mark|13:33}}
:{{lang|el|και προσευχεσθε}} (''and pray'')
::incl. - '''{{larger|{{script|Hebr|א}}}}''' Majority of manuscripts
::omit - [[Codex Vaticanus|B]] [[Codex Bezae|D]].{{r|na26|p=136}}

{{bibleref|Luke|8:48}}
:{{lang|el|θυγατερ}} (''daughter'') - '''{{larger|{{script|Hebr|א}}}}''' Majority of manuscripts
:{{lang|el|θυγατηρ}} (''daughter'') - [[Codex Vaticanus|B]] [[Codex Cyprius|K]] [[Codex Regius (New Testament)|L]] [[Codex Washingtonianus|W]] [[Codex Koridethi|Θ]].{{r|na26|p=184}}

=== Orthodox-Belief supporting reading ===
{{bibleref|1 John|5:6}}
: δι' ὕδατος καὶ αἵματος καὶ πνεύματος (''through water and blood and spirit'') - also in [[Codex Alexandrinus|A]] [[Minuscule 104|104]] [[Minuscule 424|424{{sup|c}}]] [[Minuscule 614|614]] [[Minuscule 1739|1739{{sup|c}}]] [[Minuscule 2412|2412]] [[Minuscule 2495|2495]] '''ℓ''' ''598''{{sup|m}} [[Syriac versions of the Bible#Later Syriac versions|sy{{sup|h}}]] [[Coptic versions of the Bible#Sahidic|sa]] [[Coptic versions of the Bible#Bohairic|bo]] [[Origen]].{{r|ubs3|p=823}} <ref group="n">For other variants in this verse see: [[Textual variants in the New Testament#First Epistle of John|Textual variants in the First Epistle of John]].</ref> [[Bart D. Ehrman]] says this was a corrupt reading from a proto-orthodox scribe,<ref>{{Cite book | first=Bart D. | last=Ehrman | author-link=Bart D. Ehrman | title=The Orthodox Corruption of Scripture | page=60 | year=1993 | publisher=Oxford University Press | location=Oxford}}</ref> although this conclusion has not gained wide support.<ref>See for instance, {{Cite book | first1=Magnus | last1=Zetterholm | first2=Samuel | last2=Byrskog | contributor-first=Tommy | contributor-last=Wasserman | contribution=Misquoting Manuscripts? The Orthodox Corruption of Scripture Revisited | title=The Making of Christianity: Conflicts, Contacts, and Constructions: Essays in Honor of Bengt Holmberg | pages=325–350 | year=2012 | publisher=Eisenbrauns | location =Indiana | isbn=978-1575068176}}</ref>

== History ==

=== Early history ===

==== Provenance ====
Little is known of the manuscript's early history. According to Hort, it was written in the West, probably in Rome, as suggested by the fact that the chapter division in the Acts of the Apostles common to Sinaiticus and Vaticanus occurs in no other Greek manuscript, but is found in several manuscripts of the Latin [[Vulgate]].<ref>Brook F. Westcott and Fenton J. A. Hort, ''Introduction to the New Testament in the Original Greek'' (New York: Harper & Bros., 1882; reprint, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson, 1988), pp. 264–267.</ref> [[Armitage Robinson|Robinson]] countered this argument, suggesting that this system of chapter divisions was introduced into the Vulgate by [[Jerome]] himself, as a result of his studies at [[Early centers of Christianity#Caesarea|Caesarea]].<ref>Robinson, A., ''Euthaliana'', pp. 42, 101.</ref> According to [[Frederic G. Kenyon|Kenyon]] the forms of the letters are Egyptian and they were found in Egyptian papyri of earlier date.{{r|Kenyon|p=128}} [[Victor Gardthausen|Gardthausen]],<ref>{{Cite book | first=Victor | last=Gardthausen | author-link=Victor Gardthausen | title=Griechische paleographie | volume=2 | pages=124–125 | year=1913 | publisher=Verlag von Veit & Co. | location=Leipzig | language=de | url=https://archive.org/details/griechischepaleo02gard }}</ref> Ropes and [[Sidney Jellicoe|Jellicoe]] thought it was written in [[Egypt]]. Biblical scholar [[J. Rendel Harris]] believed that the manuscript came from the [[Theological Library of Caesarea Maritima|library of Pamphilus]] at Caesarea Maritima.{{r|Kenyon|p=128}} [[Burnett Hillman Streeter|Streeter]],{{r|Streeter}} Skeat, and Milne also believed that it was produced in Caesarea.{{r|Skeat-lastchap}}

==== Date ====
The codex can be dated with a reasonable degree of confidence between the early fourth century and the early fifth century.<ref name="nongbri">{{Cite journal | first=Brent | last=Nongbri | title=The Date of Codex Sinaiticus | journal=Journal of Theological Studies | volume=73 | year=2022 | issue=2 | pages=516–534 | doi=10.1093/jts/flac083 | doi-access=free}}</ref> It could not have been written before about 325 because it contains the [[Eusebian Canons]], which is a ''[[terminus post quem]]''. The ''terminus ante quem'' is less certain. Milne and Skeat relied on small cursive notes to assert that the date of the production of the codex was not likely to be much later than about 360.{{r|Metzger-Palaeo}} More recent research suggests that these cursive notes could be as late as the early fifth century.{{r|nongbri}}

Tischendorf theorized that Codex Sinaiticus was one of the [[Fifty Bibles of Constantine|fifty copies of the Bible]] commissioned from [[Eusebius of Caesarea|Eusebius]] by [[Roman emperor]] [[Constantine I (emperor)|Constantine]] after his conversion to Christianity (''De vita Constantini'', IV, 37).<ref>{{Cite book | first=Ira Maurice | last=Price | title=The Ancestry of Our English Bible an Account of Manuscripts, Texts and Versions of the Bible | page=146 | year=1923 | publisher=Sunday School Times Co. | location=Philadelphia | url=https://archive.org/details/cu31924029271595/page/n9/mode/2up}}</ref> This hypothesis was supported by [[Pierre Batiffol]].<ref>Pierre Batiffol, ''Codex Sinaiticus'', in DB. 1, 1883–1886.</ref> Gregory and Skeat believed that it was already in production when Constantine placed his order, but had to be suspended in order to accommodate different page dimensions.{{r|Skeat-lastchap}}

[[Frederic G. Kenyon]] argued: "There is not the least sign of either of them ever having been at Constantinople. The fact that Sinaiticus was collated with the manuscript of Pamphilus so late as the sixth century seems to show that it was not originally written at Caesarea".<ref>{{Cite book | first=Frederic G. | last=Kenyon | title=Handbook to the Textual Criticism of the New Testament | page=83 | year=1912 | publisher=Macmillan & Co. | location=London | url=https://archive.org/details/handbooktotextua00keny/page/n7/mode/2up}}</ref>

==== Scribes and correctors ====
Tischendorf believed four separate scribes copied the work (whom he named A, B, C and D), and five correctors amended portions (whom he designated a, b, c, d and e). He posited one of the correctors was contemporaneous with the original scribes, and the others worked during the sixth and seventh centuries. After Milne and Skeat's reinvestigation, it is now agreed Tischendorf was incorrect, as scribe C never existed.{{r|scribes-corr|p=22–50}} According to Tischendorf, scribe C wrote the poetic books of the Old Testament. These are written in a different format from the rest of the manuscript – they appear in two columns (the rest of books is in four columns), written stichometrically. Tischendorf probably interpreted the different formatting as indicating the existence of another scribe.{{r|Jongkind|p=22–50, 12–13}} The three remaining scribes are still identified by the letters Tischendorf gave them: A, B, and D.{{r|Jongkind|pp=22–50, 12–13}} There were in fact more correctors, with at least seven (a, b, c, ca, cb, cc, e).{{r|Aland}}

Modern analysis identifies three scribes:

* Scribe A wrote most of the historical and poetical books of the Old Testament; almost the whole of the New Testament; and the Epistle of Barnabas
* Scribe B was responsible for the Prophets and for the Shepherd of Hermas
* Scribe D wrote the whole of Tobit and Judith; the first half of 4 Maccabees; the first two-thirds of the Psalms; and the first five verses of Revelation

Scribe B was a poor speller, and scribe A was not much better; the best scribe was D.{{r|Jongkind|p=90}} Metzger states: "scribe A had made some unusually serious mistakes".{{r|Metzger-Palaeo}} Scribes A and B used ''nomina sacra'' in contracted forms most often (ΠΝΕΥΜΑ contracted in all occurrences, ΚΥΡΙΟΣ contracted except in 2 occurrences), whereas scribe D mostly used the uncontracted forms.{{r|Jongkind|pp=77–78}} Scribe D distinguished between sacral and nonsacral uses of ΚΥΡΙΟΣ.{{r|Jongkind|pp=80–81}} His spelling errors are the substitution of ΕΙ for Ι, and Ι for ΕΙ in medial positions, both equally common. Otherwise substitution of Ι for initial ΕΙ is unknown, and final ΕΙ is only replaced in the word ΙΣΧΥΕΙ. The confusion of Ε and ΑΙ is very rare.{{r|Jongkind|p=90}} In the Book of Psalms, this scribe has ΔΑΥΕΙΔ instead of ΔΑΥΙΔ 35 times, while scribe A normally uses an abbreviated form {{overline|ΔΑΔ}}.{{r|scribes-corr|p=94}} Scribe A made the most phonetic errors: confusion of Ε and ΑΙ occurs in all contexts.{{r|Jongkind|p=90}} Milne and Skeat characterised scribe B as "careless and illiterate".{{r|scribes-corr|pp=53–55}} The work of the original scribe is designated by the [[siglum]] {{larger|{{script|Hebr|[[א]]}}}}*.{{r|Aland}}

[[File:Caesarea Maritima BW 2010-09-23 09-26-26 stitch.jpg|thumb|In the sixth or seventh century, the codex may have been housed at Caesarea]]

A [[Palaeography|paleographical]] study at the [[British Museum]] in 1938 found the text had undergone several corrections. The first corrections were done by several scribes before the manuscript left the scriptorium.{{r|metz-ehrman|pp=65–68}} Readings which they introduced are designated by the siglum {{larger|{{script|Hebr|א}}}}<sup>a</sup>.{{r|metz-ehrman|pp=66–67}} Milne and Skeat have observed the superscription to 1 Maccabees was made by scribe D, while the text was written by scribe A.{{r|scribes-corr|p=33}} Scribe D corrects his own work and that of scribe A, but scribe A limits himself to correcting his own work.{{r|Jongkind|p=44}} In the sixth or seventh century, many alterations were made ({{larger|{{script|Hebr|א}}}}<sup>b</sup>) – according to a [[colophon (book)|colophon]] at the end of the book of [[Esdras]] and [[Book of Esther|Esther]], the source of these alterations was "a very ancient manuscript that had been corrected by the hand of the holy martyr [[Pamphilus of Caesarea|Pamphylus]]" ([[martyr]]ed in 309). If this is so, material beginning with [[1 Samuel]] to the end of Esther is Origen's copy of the [[Hexapla]]. From this colophon, the corrections are concluded to have been made in [[Caesarea Maritima]] in the sixth or seventh centuries.{{r|metz-ehrman|pp=66–67}} The pervasive [[iotacism]], especially of the {{lang|grc|ει}} diphthong, remains uncorrected.<ref name="Gregory">{{Cite book | last=Gregory | first=Caspar René | author-link=Caspar René Gregory | title=Textkritik des Neuen Testaments | volume=1 | publisher=J.C. Hinrichs | year=1900 | location=Leipzig | url=https://archive.org/stream/textkritikdesne00greggoog#page/n31/mode/2up|access-date=18 March 2010  |language=de }}</ref>{{rp|19}}

=== Discovery ===
The Codex may have been seen in 1761 by the Italian traveller [[Vitaliano Donati]], when he visited the [[Saint Catherine's Monastery]] at Sinai in [[Egypt]]. His diary was published in 1879, in which was written:
<blockquote>In questo monastero ritrovai una quantità grandissima di codici membranacei... ve ne sono alcuni che mi sembravano anteriori al settimo secolo, ed in ispecie una Bibbia in membrane bellissime, assai grandi, sottili, e quadre, scritta in carattere rotondo e belissimo; conservano poi in chiesa un Evangelistario greco in caractere d'oro rotondo, che dovrebbe pur essere assai antico.<ref>Lumbroso, G. (1879). ''Atti della R. Accademia dei Lincei'', p. 501.</ref></blockquote> 
<blockquote>
''In this monastery I found a great number of parchment codices ... there are some which seemed to be written before the seventh century, and especially a Bible (made) of beautiful vellum, very large, thin and square parchments, written in round and very beautiful letters; moreover there are also in the church a Greek Evangelistarium in gold and round letters, it should be very old.'' 
</blockquote>
The "Bible on beautiful vellum" may be Codex Sinaiticus, and the gold evangelistarium is likely [[Lectionary 300]] on the Gregory-Aland list.<ref name="kirsopp-sinai">{{Cite book | first=Kirsopp | last=Lake | author-link=Kirsopp Lake | year=1911 | title=Codex Sinaiticus Petropolitanus: The New Testament, the Epistle of Barnabas and the Shepherd of Hermas | location=Oxford | publisher=Clarendon Press }}</ref>{{rp|V}}

[[File:Tischendorf um 1870.jpg|thumb|left|140px|[[Constantin von Tischendorf|Tischendorf]] in 1870]]
German Biblical scholar [[Constantin von Tischendorf]] wrote about his visit to the monastery in ''Reise in den Orient'' in 1846 (translated as ''Travels in the East'' in 1847), without mentioning the manuscript. Later, in 1860, in his writings about the Sinaiticus discovery, Tischendorf wrote a narrative about the monastery and the manuscript that spanned from 1844 to 1859. He wrote that in 1844, during his first visit to the Saint Catherine's Monastery, he saw some leaves of parchment in a waste-basket. They were "rubbish which was to be destroyed by burning it in the ovens of the monastery",{{r|Skeat-lastchap|p=313}} although this is firmly denied by the Monastery. After examination he realized that they were part of the Septuagint, written in an early Greek uncial script. He retrieved from the basket 129 leaves in Greek which he identified as coming from a manuscript of the [[Septuagint]]. He asked if he might keep them, but at this point the attitude of the monks changed. They realized how valuable these old leaves were, and Tischendorf was permitted to take only one-third of the whole, i.e. 43 leaves. These leaves contained portions of 1 Chronicles, Jeremiah, Nehemiah, and Esther. After his return they were deposited in the [[Leipzig University Library]], where they remain. In 1846 Tischendorf published their contents, naming them the 'Codex Friderico-Augustanus' (in honor of [[Frederick Augustus II of Saxony|Frederick Augustus]] and keeping secret the source of the leaves).<ref>[[Constantin von Tischendorf]], [https://archive.org/stream/Tischendorf.iv.monumentaSacraInedita.newcollection.subscript.6vols.1857-1870/02.MonumentaSacraInedita.NCVP.FragSacra.v2.Tischendorf.Subscript.1860.#page/n269/mode/2up ''Monumenta sacra inedita''] (Leipzig 1855), vol. I, pp. 211 ff.</ref> Other portions of the same codex remained in the monastery, containing all of Isaiah and 1 and 4 Maccabees.<ref>Tischendorf, C. v. (1866). ''When Were Our Gospels Written? An Argument by Constantine Tischendorf. With a Narrative of the Discovery of the Sinaitic Manuscript'', New York: American Tract Society.</ref>

In 1845, [[Archimandrite]] [[Porphyrius Uspensky]] (1804–1885), at that time head of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem and subsequently Bishop of [[Chigirin]], visited the monastery and the codex was shown to him, together with leaves which Tischendorf had not seen.<ref group="n">Uspienski described: "Первая рукопись, содержащая Ветхий Завет неполный и весь Новый Завет с посланием ап. Варнавы и книгой Ермы, писана на тончайшем белом пергаменте. (...) Буквы в ней совершенно похожи на церковно-славянские. Постановка их прямая и сплошная. Над словами нет придыханий и ударений, а речения не отделяются никакими знаками правописания кроме точек. Весь священный текст писан в четыре и два столбца стихомерным образом и так слитно, как будто одно длинное речение тянется от точки до точки." (Порфирий (Успенский), ''Первое путешествие в Синайский монастырь в 1845 году'', Petersburg 1856, с. 226.)</ref> In 1846, Captain C. K. MacDonald visited Mount Sinai, saw the codex, and bought two codices ([[Minuscule 495|495]] and [[Minuscule 496|496]]) from the monastery.{{r|Gregory|pp=195–196}}

[[File:AlexII.JPG|thumb|The codex was presented to [[Alexander II of Russia]]]]
In 1853, Tischendorf revisited the Saint Catherine's Monastery to get the remaining 86 folios, but without success. Returning in 1859, this time under the [[patronage]] of Tsar [[Alexander II of Russia]], he was shown Codex Sinaiticus. He would later claim to have found it discarded in a rubbish bin. (This story may have been a fabrication, or the manuscripts in question may have been unrelated to Codex Sinaiticus: Rev. J. Silvester Davies in 1863 quoted "a monk of Sinai who... stated that according to the librarian of the monastery the whole of Codex Sinaiticus had been in the library for many years and was marked in the ancient catalogues... Is it not likely... that a manuscript known in the library catalogue would have been jettisoned in the rubbish basket." Indeed, it has been noted that the leaves were in "suspiciously good condition" for something found in the trash.<ref group="n">Davies' words are from a letter published in ''The Guardian'' on 27 May 1863, as quoted by Elliott, J.K. (1982) in ''Codex Sinaiticus and the Simonides Affair'', Thessaloniki: Patriarchal Institute for Patristic Studies, p. 16; Elliott in turn is quoted by Michael D. Peterson in his essay "Tischendorf and the Codex Sinaiticus: the Saga Continues", in ''The Church and the Library'', ed. Papademetriou and Sopko Boston: Somerset Hall Press (2005), p. 77. See also notes 2 and 3, p. 90, in Papademetriou.</ref>) Tischendorf had been sent to search for manuscripts by Russia's [[Tsar]] [[Russian Emperor Alexander II|Alexander II]], who was convinced there were still manuscripts to be found at the Sinai monastery.<ref name="Parker">{{Cite book | first=D. C. | last=Parker | author-link=David C. Parker | title=Codex Sinaiticus: The Story of the World's Oldest Bible | publisher=The British Library | location=London | year=2010 | isbn=978-0-7123-5803-3 }}</ref>{{rp|140–142}} The text of this part of the codex was published by Tischendorf in 1862:
* Konstantin von Tischendorf: ''Bibliorum codex Sinaiticus Petropolitanus.'' Giesecke & Devrient, Leipzig 1862.
This work has been digitised in full and all four volumes may be consulted online.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.teylersmuseum.nl/en/collection/books/141a-9-bibliorum-codex-sinaiticus-petropolitanus-auspiciis-augustissimis-imperatoris-alexandri-ii-ex-tenebris-protraxit-in-europam-transtulit-ad-iuvandas-atque-illustrandas-sacras-litteras-edidit-constantinus-tischendorf|title=Bibliorum Codex Sinaiticus Petropolitanus : Auspiciis augustissimis Imperatoris Alexandri II; ex tenebris protraxit in Europam transtulit ad iuvandas atque illustrandas sacras litteras edidit Constantinus Tischendorf|website=Teylers Museum}}</ref>
It was reprinted in four volumes in 1869:
* Konstantin von Tischendorf, G. Olms (Hrsg.): ''Bibliorum codex Sinaiticus Petropolitanus. 1. Prolegomena.'' G. Olms, Hildesheim 1869 (Repr.).
* Konstantin von Tischendorf, G. Olms (Hrsg.): ''Bibliorum codex Sinaiticus Petropolitanus. 2. Veteris Testamenti pars prior.'' G. Olms, Hildesheim 1869 (Repr.).
* Konstantin von Tischendorf, G. Olms (Hrsg.): ''Bibliorum codex Sinaiticus Petropolitanus. 3. Veteris Testamenti pars posterior.'' G. Olms, Hildesheim 1869 (Repr.).
* Konstantin von Tischendorf, G. Olms (Hrsg.): ''Bibliorum codex Sinaiticus Petropolitanus. 4. Novum Testamentum cum Barnaba et Pastore.'' G. Olms, Hildesheim 1869 (Repr.).

The complete publication of the codex was made by [[Kirsopp Lake]] in 1911 (New Testament), and in 1922 (Old Testament). It was the full-sized black and white facsimile of the manuscript, "made from negatives taken from St. Petersburg by my wife and myself in the summer of 1908".{{r|kirsopp-sinai}}

The story of how Tischendorf found the manuscript, which contained most of the Old Testament and all of the New Testament, has all the interest of a romance. Tischendorf reached the monastery on 31 January; but his inquiries appeared to be fruitless. On 4 February, he had resolved to return home without having gained his object:
[[File:Sinai litografia.jpg|thumb|right|[[Lithograph]] of [[Saint Catherine's Monastery]], based on sketches made by [[Porphyrius Uspensky]] in 1857.]]
<blockquote>
On the afternoon of this day I was taking a walk with the steward of the convent in the neighbourhood, and as we returned, towards sunset, he begged me to take some refreshment with him in his cell. Scarcely had he entered the room, when, resuming our former subject of conversation, he said: "And I, too, have read a Septuagint" – i.e. a copy of the Greek translation made by the Seventy. And so saying, he took down from the corner of the room a bulky kind of volume, wrapped up in a red cloth, and laid it before me. I unrolled the cover, and discovered, to my great surprise, not only those very fragments which, fifteen years before, I had taken out of the basket, but also other parts of the Old Testament, the New Testament complete, and, in addition, the Epistle of Barnabas and a part of the Shepherd of Hermas.<ref>See {{Cite book | first=Constantin von | last=Tischendorf | title=When Were Our Gospels Written? An Argument by Constantine Tischendorf, with a Narrative of the Discovery of the Sinaitic Manuscript | year=1866 | publisher=American Tract Society | location=New York | url=https://archive.org/details/whenwereourgospe0000tisc/page/n5/mode/2up}}</ref>
</blockquote>
[[File:Chappel of bush litografia.jpg|thumb|left|The Chapel of the [[Burning bush|Burning Bush]] in Saint Catherine's Monastery; a lithograph from the album of Porphyrius Uspensky]]
After some negotiations, he obtained possession of this precious fragment. James Bentley gives an account of how this came about, prefacing it with the comment, "Tischendorf therefore now embarked on the remarkable piece of duplicity which was to occupy him for the next decade, which involved the careful suppression of facts and the systematic denigration of the monks of Mount Sinai."<ref>Bentley, James (1986). ''Secrets of Mount Sinai''. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, p. 95.</ref> He conveyed it to Tsar [[Alexander II of Russia|Alexander II]], who appreciated its importance and had it published as nearly as possible in facsimile, so as to exhibit correctly the ancient handwriting. In 1869 the Tsar sent the monastery 7,000 [[ruble]]s and the monastery of [[Mount Tabor]] 2,000 rubles by way of compensation.{{r|kirsopp-sinai|p1=VI|Parker|pp2=145–146}} The document in Russian formalising this was published in 2007 in Russia and has since been translated.<ref>[http://lenta.ru/news/2010/02/18/sinaiticus/ В архивах МИД РФ нашли документ о правах на Синайский кодекс] at the Lenta.ru</ref>

The codex is regarded by the monastery as having been stolen, which is proven by a  receipt given by Tischendorf to the authorities at the monastery promising to return the manuscript from St. Petersburg ‘to the Holy Confraternity of Sinai at its earliest request’, a copy of which is on display in the publicly-accessible area of the monastery.<ref>Ihor Ševčenko’s article ‘New Documents on Tischendorf and the Codex Sinaiticus’, published in the journal Scriptorium, xviii (1964) pp. 55–80.</ref>
This view of Tischendorf's role in the transfer to Saint Petersburg has been contested by several scholars in Europe. New Testament scholar [[Bruce Metzger]] wrote:

<blockquote>
Certain aspects of the negotiations leading to the transfer of the codex to the Tsar's possession are open to an interpretation that reflects adversely on Tischendorf's candour and good faith with the monks at Saint Catherine's Monastery. For an account intended to exculpate him of blame, see Erhard Lauch's article 'Nichts gegen Tischendorf' in ''Bekenntnis zur Kirche: Festgabe für Ernst Sommerlath zum 70. Geburtstag'' (Berlin, c. 1961), pp.15-24; for an account that includes a hitherto [i.e., before 1964] unknown receipt given by Tischendorf to the authorities at the monastery promising to return the manuscript from Saint Petersburg 'to the Holy Confraternity of Sinai at its earliest request'.<ref>See Ihor Ševčenko, "New Documents on Tischendorf and the Codex Sinaiticus", published in the journal ''Scriptorium'', xviii (1964), pp. 55–80.</ref>{{r|metz-ehrman|p=64}}
</blockquote>

[[File:St Catherines From Sinai.JPG|thumb|View of Saint Catherine's Monastery]]

=== Simonides ===
On 13 September 1862 [[Constantine Simonides]] (1820–1890), skilled in calligraphy and with a controversial background with manuscripts, made the claim in print in ''[[The Guardian|The Manchester Guardian]]'' that he had written the codex himself as a 19-year-old boy in 1839 in the [[Agiou Panteleimonos monastery|Panteleimonos monastery]] at [[Mount Athos|Athos]].<ref>{{Cite book | title=The Codex Sinaiticus and the Simonides Affair | first=James Keith  | last=Elliott | publisher=Patriarchal Institute of Patristic Studies | location=Thessalonica | year=1982 | page=16 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.sravnika.narod.ru/sin/sin3.htm | title=Странное объявление Симонидеса о Синайском кодексе и ответ Тишендорфа }}</ref> [[Constantin von Tischendorf]], who worked with numerous Bible manuscripts, was known as somewhat flamboyant, and had ambitiously sought money from several royal families for his ventures, who had indeed funded his trips. Simonides had a somewhat obscure history, as he claimed he was at Mt. Athos in the years preceding Tischendorf's contact, making the claim at least plausible. Simonides also claimed his father had died and the invitation to [[Mount Athos|Mt. Athos]] came from his uncle, a monk there, but subsequent letters to his father were found among his possessions at his death. Simonides claimed the false nature of the document in ''The Manchester Guardian'' in an exchange of letters among scholars and others, at the time. Henry Bradshaw, a British librarian known to both men, defended the Tischendorf find of Codex Sinaiticus, casting aside the accusations of Simonides, which later have been disproved. Since Bradshaw was a social 'hub' among many diverse scholars of the day, his aiding of Tischendorf was given much weight. Simonides died shortly after, and the issue lay dormant for many years.<ref>Letters of Constantine Simonides, Grolier Library, NY</ref>

In answer to Simonides in ''[[Allgemeine Zeitung]]'' (December 1862), Tischendorf noted only in the New Testament were there many differences between it and all other manuscripts. [[Henry Bradshaw (scholar)|Henry Bradshaw]], a bibliographer, combatted the claims of Constantine Simonides in a letter to ''The Manchester Guardian'' (26 January 1863). Bradshaw argued that Codex Sinaiticus brought by Tischendorf from the Greek monastery of Mount Sinai was not a modern forgery or written by Simonides.<ref>{{Cite book | last=McKitterick | first=David | year=1998 | title=A History of Cambridge University Press | volume=2 | chapter=Scholarship and Commerce (1698–1872) | location=Cambridge | publisher=Cambridge University Press | isbn=0-521-30802-X | page=369 }}.</ref> The controversy seems to regard the misplaced use of the word 'fraud' or 'forgery' since it may have been a repaired text, a copy of the Septuagint based upon Origen's Hexapla, a text which has been rejected for centuries because of its lineage from [[Eusebius]] who introduced Arian doctrine into the courts of Constantine I and II.

Not every scholar and Church minister was delighted about the codex find. [[John William Burgon|Burgon]], a supporter of the [[Textus Receptus]], suggested that Codex Sinaiticus, as well as codices [[Codex Vaticanus Graecus 1209|Vaticanus]] and [[Codex Bezae]], were the most corrupt documents extant. Each of these three codices "clearly exhibits a fabricated text – is the result of arbitrary and reckless recension."<ref name="burgon">{{Cite book | first=John William | last=Burgon | title=The Revision Revised | year=1883 | location=London | publisher=John Murray }}</ref>{{rp|9}} The two most weighty of these three codices, {{larger|{{script|Hebr|א}}}} and [[Codex Vaticanus Graecus 1209|B]], he likens to the "two false witnesses" of {{bibleref|Matthew|26:60}}.{{r|burgon|p=48}}

However, independent discoveries of other fragments of the codex in recent history (see below) prove its authenticity, and disprove all theories of it being a forgery.<ref>{{Cite web | title=Finding Additional Leaves of the Codex Sinaiticus in a Book Binding | url=https://www.historyofinformation.com/detail.php?id=952 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | title=New fragment of Codex Sinaiticus discovered | date=September 2009 | url=https://ntweblog.blogspot.com/2009/09/new-fragment-of-codex-sinaiticus.html }}</ref><ref name="Sarris">{{Cite web | title=The Discovery of a New Fragment from the Codex Sinaiticus | first=Nikolas | last=Sarris | url=https://www.academia.edu/44594833/The_discovery_of_a_new_fragment_from_the_Codex_Sinaiticus }}</ref>

=== Recent history ===
In the early 20th century [[Vladimir Beneshevich]] (1874–1938) discovered parts of three more leaves of the codex in the bindings of other manuscripts in the library of Mount Sinai. Beneshevich went on three occasions to the monastery (1907, 1908, 1911) but does not tell when or from which book these were recovered. These leaves were also acquired for St. Petersburg, where they remain.<ref>Бенешевич Владимир Николаевич, "Памятники Синая археологические и палеографические", Вып. 2, Sankt Petersburg, 1912; V. N. Beneshevich, "Catalogus Codicum Manuscriptorum Graecorum qui in Monasterio Sanctae Catherinae in Monte Sina Asservantur" St. Petersburg (1911).</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.katapi.org.uk/BibleMSS/Sinaiticus.htm |title=Katapi.org.uk |publisher=Katapi.org.uk |access-date=4 February 2010}}</ref>

[[File:Russian National Library building.jpg|thumb|A two-thirds portion of the codex was held in the National Library of Russia in [[St. Petersburg]] from 1859 until 1933]]
For many decades, the Codex was preserved in the [[Russian National Library]]. In 1933, the [[Soviet Union]] sold the codex to the [[British Museum]] (after 1973 [[British Library]]) for £100,000 raised by public subscription (worth £{{Formatprice|{{Inflation|UK|100000|1933|r=-5}}}} in {{CURRENTYEAR}}).<ref name="metz-ehrman">{{Cite book | last1=Metzger | first1=Bruce Maning | last2=Ehrman | first2=Bart D. | title=The Text of the New Testament: Its Transmission, Corruption, and Restoration | edition=4th | publisher=Oxford University Press | location=New York; Oxford | year=2005 | url=https://archive.org/details/TheTextOfNewTestament4thEdit/mode/2up }}</ref>{{rp|64}} After coming to Britain it was examined by Skeat and Milne using an [[ultra-violet]] lamp.<ref>{{Cite book | first=Theodore Cressy | last=Skeat | editor=James Keith Elliott | chapter=A four years work on the Codex Sinaiticus: Significant discoveries in reconditioned manuscripts | title=The collected biblical writings of T. C. Skeat | page=9 | year=2004 | publisher=Brill | location=London | isbn=9004139206 | chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=td_OLXo4RvkC&pg=3}}</ref>

In May 1975, during restoration work, the monks of Saint Catherine's Monastery discovered a room beneath the St. George Chapel which contained many parchment fragments. [[Kurt Aland]] and his team from the [[Institute for New Testament Textual Research]] were the first scholars who were invited to analyse, examine and photograph these new fragments of the New Testament in 1982.<ref>Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, "Die Funde der Mönche vom Sinai" (Engl.: "The findings of the monks from the Sinai"), 5 November 1983, No. 109, page 10</ref> Among these fragments were twelve complete leaves from the ''Sinaiticus'', eleven leaves of the [[Pentateuch]] and one leaf of the [[The Shepherd of Hermas|Shepherd of Hermas]].{{r|Skeat-lastchap}} Together with these leaves 67 Greek Manuscripts of New Testament have been found (uncials [[Uncial 0278|0278]] – [[Uncial 0296|0296]] and some minuscules).<ref>[http://www-user.uni-bremen.de/~wie/texte/Sinaiticus-75.html Codex Sinaiticus finds 1975] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080629091431/http://www-user.uni-bremen.de/~wie/texte/Sinaiticus-75.html |date=29 June 2008 }} with images</ref>

In June 2005, a team of experts from the United Kingdom, Europe, Egypt, Russia and United States undertook a joint project to produce a new digital edition of the manuscript (involving all four holding libraries), and a series of other studies was announced.<ref>[http://www.bl.uk/news/2005/pressrelease20050311.html World's oldest Bible goes global: Historic international digitisation project announced] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100115042305/http://www.bl.uk/news/2005/pressrelease20050311.html |date=15 January 2010 }}, British Library: Press Room</ref><ref>[http://www.christiantoday.com/article/british.library.heads.project.in.digitalising.the.worlds.oldest.bible/2338.htm British Library Heads Project in Digitalising the World’s Oldest Bible] Christianity Today, 15 March 2005</ref><ref>{{Cite book | editor-first=Ulrich Johannes | editor-last=Schneider | title=Codex Sinaiticus: Geschichte und Erschließung der "Sinai-Bibel" | page=42 | year=2007 | publisher=Universitätsbibliothek Leipzig | location=Leipzig | isbn=978-3-934178-72-4 }}</ref> This will include the use of [[hyperspectral imaging]] to photograph the manuscripts to look for hidden information such as erased or faded text.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4739369.stm Oldest known Bible to go online]. ''BBC.com''. 31 August 2005. Retrieved 8 June 2006.</ref> This is to be done in cooperation with the British Library.<ref>Henschke, E. (2007). "Digitizing the Hand-Written Bible: The Codex Sinaiticus, its History and Modern Presentation", ''Libri'', vol. '''57''', pp. 45–51.</ref>

More than one quarter of the manuscript was made publicly available at [https://web.archive.org/web/20080818061315/http://www.codex-sinaiticus.net/en/ The Codex Sinaiticus Website] on 24 July 2008. On 6 July 2009, 800 more pages of the manuscript were made available, showing over half of the entire text,<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/8135415.stm ''Historical Bible pages put online''] BBC News</ref> although the entire text was intended to be shown by that date.<ref>{{cite press release |title=The world's oldest Bible goes online |date=21 July 2008 |url=http://www.codexsinaiticus.org/en/project/article.aspx?newsid=15 |access-date=24 July 2008}}</ref>

The complete document is now available online in digital form and available for scholarly study. The online version has a fully transcribed set of [[digital page]]s, including amendments to the text, and two images of each page, with both standard lighting and raked lighting to highlight the texture of the parchment.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20090706/oldest_bible_090706/20090706?hub=TopStories |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090707122714/http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20090706/oldest_bible_090706/20090706?hub=TopStories |url-status=dead |archive-date=7 July 2009 |title=ctv news story |publisher=Ctv.ca |date=6 July 2009 |access-date=4 February 2010}}</ref>

Prior to 1 September 2009, the [[University of the Arts London]] PhD student, Nikolas Sarris, discovered the previously unseen fragment of the Codex in the library of Saint Catherine's Monastery. It contains the text of Book of Joshua 1:10.<ref>"[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/fragment-from-worlds-oldest-bible-found-hidden-in-egyptian-monastery-1780274.html Fragment from world's oldest Bible found hidden in Egyptian monastery]". [[The Independent]], 2 Sep 2009.</ref>{{r|Sarris}}

== Present location ==
[[File:british library london.jpg|thumb|The British Library]]
The codex is now split into four unequal portions: 347 leaves in the [[British Library]] in London (199 of the Old Testament, 148 of the New Testament), 12 leaves and 14 fragments in the Saint Catherine's Monastery, 43 leaves in the [[Leipzig University Library]], and fragments of 3 leaves in the [[Russian National Library]] in [[Saint Petersburg]].{{r|Aland}}

Saint Catherine's Monastery still maintains the importance of a letter, handwritten in 1844 with an original signature of Tischendorf confirming that he borrowed those leaves and that they would be returned from Russia if requested.<ref>[http://www.sinaimonastery.com/index.php?lid=107# Ο Σιναϊτικός Κώδικας].</ref> However, Russian scholars contend that recently published documents, including a [[deed of gift]] dated 11 September 1868 (four years after the removal of the manuscript from the monastery) and signed by Archbishop Kallistratos and the monks of the monastery, amount to a proof that the manuscript was obtained legally.<ref name="Zacharova">[http://www.nlr.ru/exib/CodexSinaiticus/zah/ ''"История приобретения Синайской Библии Россией в свете новых документов из российских архивов"''], А.В.Захарова, ''Монфокон: исследования по палеографии, кодикологии и дипломатике'', Ι, Москва—С.-Петербург, 2007, 209–266</ref> This deed, which agrees with a report by [[Kurt Aland]] on the matter, has now been published. This development is not widely known in the English-speaking world, as only German- and Russian-language media reported on it in 2009. Doubts as to the legality of the gift arose because when Tischendorf originally removed the manuscript from Saint Catherine's Monastery in September 1859, the monastery was without an archbishop, so that even though the intention to present the manuscript to the Tsar had been expressed, no legal gift could be made at the time. Resolution of the matter was delayed through the turbulent reign of Archbishop Cyril (consecrated 7 December 1859, deposed 24 August 1866).
Skeat in his article "The Last Chapter in the History of the Codex Sinaiticus" concluded in this way:
<blockquote>
This is not the place to pass judgements, but perhaps I may say that, as it seems to me, both the monks and Tischendorf deserve our deepest gratitude, Tischendorf for having alerted the monks to the importance of the manuscript, and the monks for having undertaken the daunting task of searching through the vast mass of material with such spectacular results, and then doing everything in their power to safeguard the manuscript against further loss. If we accept the statement of Uspensky, that he saw the codex in 1845, the monks must have worked very hard to complete their search and bind up the results in so short a period.{{r|Skeat-lastchap|p=315}}
</blockquote>

== Impact on biblical scholarship ==
Along with [[Codex Vaticanus]], Codex Sinaiticus is considered one of the most valuable manuscripts available, as it is one of the oldest and likely closer to the original text of the [[Novum Testamentum Graece|Greek New Testament]]. It is the only [[uncial script|uncial]] manuscript with the complete text of the New Testament, and the only ancient manuscript of the New Testament written in four columns per page which has survived to the present day.{{r|Aland}} With only 300 years separating Codex Sinaiticus and the lifetime of Jesus, it is considered by some to be more accurate than most New Testament copies in preserving readings where almost all manuscripts are assumed by them to be in error.{{r|Kenyon|p=191}}

For the [[Gospel]]s, Sinaiticus is considered among some people as the second most reliable witness of the text (after [[Codex Vaticanus|Vaticanus]]); in the [[Acts of the Apostles]], its text is equal to that of [[Codex Vaticanus|Vaticanus]]; in the [[Epistles]], Sinaiticus is assumed to be the most reliable witness of the text. In the [[Book of Revelation]], however, its text is corrupted and is considered of poor quality, and inferior to the texts of [[Codex Alexandrinus]], {{Papyrus link|47}}, and even some minuscule manuscripts in this place (for example, [[Minuscule 2053]], [[Minuscule 2062|2062]]).{{r|Metzger-Palaeo}}

== See also ==
{{Portal|Bible}}
<!-- Please keep entries in alphabetical order & add a short description [[WP:SEEALSO]] -->
{{div col|colwidth=20em|small=yes}}
* [[Biblical manuscript]]
*[[Codex Sinaiticus Rescriptus]]
* [[Differences between codices Sinaiticus and Vaticanus]]
* [[Fifty Bibles of Constantine]]
* [[List of New Testament uncials]]
* [[Syriac Sinaiticus]]
{{div col end}}
<!-- please keep entries in alphabetical order -->

== Notes ==
{{reflist|group="n"|30em}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== Further reading ==

=== Text of the codex ===
* [[Constantin von Tischendorf]], ''Fragmentum Codicis Friderico-Augustani'', in: [https://archive.org/stream/Tischendorf.iv.monumentaSacraInedita.newcollection.subscript.6vols.1857-1870/02.MonumentaSacraInedita.NCVP.FragSacra.v2.Tischendorf.Subscript.1860.#page/n269/mode/2up ''Monumenta sacra inedita''] (Leipzig 1855), vol. I, pp.&nbsp;211 ff.
* {{Cite book | first=H. T. | last=Anderson | title=The New Testament Translated from the Sinaitic Manuscript Discovered by Constantine Tischendorf at Mt. Sinai | year=1918 | publisher=The Standard Publishing Company | location=Cincinnati | url=https://archive.org/stream/newtestamenttrf00tiscgoog#page/n4/mode/2up}}

=== Other works ===
* {{Cite book | first=Christfried | last=Böttrich | author-link=Christfried Böttrich | title=Der Jahrhundertfund: Entdeckung und Geschichte des Codex Sinaiticus (The Discovery of the Century: Discovery and history of Codex Sinaiticus) | year=2011 | publisher=[[Evangelische Verlagsanstalt]] | location=Leipzig | lang=de | isbn=978-3-374-02586-2 }}
* {{Cite journal | first=Peter M. | last=Head | title=The Gospel of Mark in Codex Sinaiticus: Textual and Reception-Historical Considerations | journal=Journal of Biblical Textual Criticism | year=2008 | url=http://rosetta.reltech.org/TC/vol13/Head2008.pdf }}
* {{Cite journal | author=Magerson, P. | title=Codex Sinaiticus: An Historical Observation | journal=Bib Arch | volume=46 | pages=54–56 | year=1983 }}
*{{Cite book | first1=H. J. M. | last1=Milne | first2=Theodore Cressy | last2=Skeat | author-link2=T. C. Skeat | title=The Codex Sinaiticus and the Codex Alexandrinus | orig-year=1951 | year=1963 | publisher=The British Museum | location=London | url=https://archive.org/details/codexsinaiticusc0000brit/page/n3/mode/2up | url-access=limited }}
* {{Cite book | first=D. C. | last=Parker | author-link=David C. Parker | title=Codex Sinaiticus: The Story of the World's Oldest Bible | publisher=The British Library | location=London | year=2010 | isbn=978-0-7123-5803-3 }}
* {{Cite book | first=Stanley E. | last=Porter | title=Constantine Tischendorf: The Life and Work of a 19th Century Bible Hunter | year=2015 | publisher=Bloomsbury T&T Clark | location=London | isbn=978-0-5676-5803-6 }}
* {{Cite book | first=Alexander | last=Schick | title=Tischendorf und die älteste Bibel der Welt – Die Entdeckung des CODEX SINAITICUS im Katharinenkloster (Tischendorf and the oldest Bible in the world – The discovery of the Codex Sinaiticus in St. Catherine's Monastery – Biography cause of the anniversary of the 200th birthday of Tischendorf with many unpublished documents from his estate. These provide insight into previously unknown details of the discoveries and the reasons behind the donation of the manuscript. Recent research on Tischendorf and the Codex Sinaiticus and its significance for New Testament Textual Research) | year=2015 | publisher=Jota | location=Muldenhammer | language=de | isbn=978-3-935707-83-1 }}
* {{Cite book | first=Constantin von | last=Tischendorf | title=Responsa ad Calumnias Romanas | year=1870 | publisher=F. A. Brockhaus | location=Leipzig | url=https://archive.org/stream/Tischendorf.V.Various/10.ResponsaCalumniasRomanas.SuppNTSinCod.Tischendorf.1865.1870.#page/n5/mode/2up }}
* {{Cite book | first=Constantin von | last=Tischendorf | title=Die Sinaibibel ihre Entdeckung, Herausgabe, und Erwerbung | year=1871 | publisher=Giesecke & Devrient | location=Leipzig | url=https://archive.org/stream/diesinaibibelih01tiscgoog#page/n5/mode/2up}}
* {{Cite book | first=Constantin von | last=Tischendorf | title=Wann wurden unsere Evangelien verfasst? | year=1865 | publisher=J. C. Hinrichs | location=Leipzig | lang=de | url=https://archive.org/stream/wannwurdenunser02tiscgoog#page/n3/mode/2up }}

== External links ==
{{Commons category}}
* [http://www.codexsinaiticus.org/en/ Codex Sinaiticus Project]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00dy1gc BBC video clip], handling Codex Sinaiticus at the British Library

=== Facsimiles of Codex Sinaiticus ===
* [https://manuscripts.csntm.org/manuscript/View/GA_01 Codex Sinaiticus] at the ''Center for the Study of NT Manuscripts'' (JPG)
* [https://www.apmanuscripts.com/new-page-3 Codex Sinaiticus] digital reproduction at ''A.P. Manuscripts''
* ''[https://www.hendricksonrose.com/p/codex-sinaiticus/9781598565775 Codex Sinaiticus: Facsimile Edition]'' ({{ISBN| 9781598565775}})

=== Articles ===
*[http://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-topics/bible-versions-and-translations/absent-from-codex-sinaiticus-oldest-new-testament/ Differences between the Sinaiticus and the KJV]
* [http://www.skypoint.com/members/waltzmn/ManuscriptsUncials.html#uAleph Codex Sinaiticus] at the ''Encyclopedia of Textual Criticism''
* [http://www.bible-researcher.com/codex-aleph.html Codex Sinaiticus page at bible-researcher.com]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20020211074038/http://www.earlham.edu/~seidti/iam/tc_codexs.html Earlham College facsimile of Codex Sinaiticus]
* [https://www.bl.uk/projects/codex-sinaiticus-project Codex Sinaiticus Project at the British Library website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220621195703/https://www.bl.uk/projects/codex-sinaiticus-project |date=21 June 2022 }}
* [https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/codex-sinaiticus Codex Sinaiticus entry for the British Library collection] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220621195702/https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/codex-sinaiticus |date=21 June 2022 }} 
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20061027021438/http://www.connectedphotographer.com/issues/issue200506/00001581001.html A real-life Bible Code: the amazing story of the Codex Sinaiticus]
* [https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/schools/ptr/departments/theologyandreligion/research/projects/codex-sinaiticus.aspx Joint project managed by ITSEE for digitizing the codex]
* [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/240754794_Digitising_the_HandWritten_Bible_The_Codex_Sinaiticus_its_History_and_Modern_Presentation E. Henschke, The Codex Sinaiticus, its History and Modern Presentation]
* [http://members.bib-arch.org/publication.asp?PubID=BSBA&Volume=33&Issue=6&ArticleID=7 Who Owns the Codex Sinaiticus] Biblical Archaeology Review Library
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20100719033252/http://www.nlr.ru/eng/exib/CodexSinaiticus/ The Codex Sinaiticus and the Manuscripts of Mt Sinai in the Collections of the National Library of Russia] The National Library of Russia, 2009
* [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/germany/2439897/Codex-Sinaiticus-the-worlds-oldest-Bible-goes-online.html Codex Sinaiticus, the world's oldest Bible, goes online] The Telegraph

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:4th-century biblical manuscripts]]
[[Category:British Library additional manuscripts]]
[[Category:Great uncial codices|Sinaiticus]]
[[Category:Greek New Testament uncials|Sinaiticus]]
[[Category:Saint Catherine's Monastery]]
[[Category:Septuagint manuscripts]]