Hendrickson Publishers, in conjunction with the British Library, is now releasing a limited number of full color facsimiles of the preserved Codex Sinaiticus.
Codex Sinaiticus is the oldest known complete manuscript featuring the full canon of the Christian Bible in Greek. It was originally produced in the middle of the fourth Century (ca. 350A.D.) in the south-eastern Mediterranean. Originally Codex Sinaiticus was produced on parchment whose total number exceeded 730 leaves, approximately 1,460 pages. It contains the oldest complete New Testament and, at one time the entire Old Testament.
Sections of Genesis and other areas of the Pentateuch were damaged or lost over the centuries. Nevertheless, the vast majority of the Old Testament text remains and is now preserved in this facsimile edition. The importance of the 4th Century to Christian history cannot be overstated, and Codex Sinaiticus is our greatest witness to that era, especially because it reveals how Christians began to understand their canonical Scriptures.
Totaling 828 pages, the facsimile edition comes in hardback binding accompanied by a sturdy slip case that is designed to provide support the weight of the facsimiles pages (app. 25 lbs) and prevent them from tearing away from the back binding. It pages are thick, glossy and 'life-size' pages (13.5'x16.5') well-suited for image reproduction. The Codex Sinaiticus facsimile edition also comes with a 32 page booklet that provides a brief outline of the provenance, history, and discovery of this significant piece of history.
