Codex Bezae is one of the most important primary sources in New Testament scholarship. Since its rediscovery in the sixteenth century it has continued to fascinate scholars, who have remained intrigued by the riddles of its general appearance and textual characteristics. David Parker makes the first comprehensive investigation of the manuscript for over a century, and sets out to uncover the story behind this most enigmatic of manuscripts. By studying the characteristics of Codex Bezae, both physical and textual, and by comparing its Greek and Latin texts, the author aims to show how a bilingual tradition developed, and thus to discover as much as possible about its earliest stages, which leads to an important new theory about its origins. In a final section, the general character of the text is assessed with a view to what this can tell us of the earliest traditions about Jesus.

The first major study of Codex Bezae for over 100 years. Codex Bezae is one of the fundamental texts of NT scholarship, and one of our earlist links back to the early Church and its origins

"This extraordinarily well-researched book treats an important subject in a fundamentally important fashion, providing a thorough examination of the manuscript as manuscript. The meticulous detail fits together into a unified whole, to comprise an argument that has its compelling aspects, its highly probable aspects, and--at the very least--its plausible aspects. I recommend this work most highly."

"This book presents mature, scholarly judgments, expressed with clarity and balance. It is comprehensive in scope and will remain a classic of its kind."

"Comprehensive, meticulous, and massively documented, this is the first full analysis of Codex Bezae in over a century, and it is the first definitive study ever....This is a model study, essential reading for all textual critics and an important purchase for all research libraries."

"Parker's book deserves wide attention. To have illuminated not only a codex and its history but perhaps also something of its theological and social context, is an impressive achievement."