Theology: Codex Codex [COE-dex] From the Latin word caudex for trunk of a tree or block of wood. The codex is the forerunner of the modern book. A codex was formed by folding several sheets of papyrus in the middle and sewing them together along the fold. More convenient for reading than the scroll, the codex (plural, codices) could also be written on both sides. As far back as the early 2nd century, there is evidence that the codex—usually of papyrus—was the preferred format among Christians. Many important manuscripts of the Greek New Testament have been preserved and passed down in codex format. The earliest surviving fragments from codices come from Egypt and are variously dated towards the end of the 1st century or in the first half of the 2nd. This group includes the John Rylands Library Papyrus P52, containing part of St Johns Gospel, and perhaps dating to 125 A.D.
Posted on: Thu, 08 Jan 2015 07:37:10 +0000
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