Chester Beatty Papyri at The Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts (CSNTM)

The Chester Beatty papyri, published in the 1930s and 1950s, are some of the oldest and most important biblical manuscripts known to exist. Housed at the Chester Beatty Library (CBL) in Dublin, they have attracted countless visitors every year. It is safe to say that the only Greek biblical manuscripts that might receive more visitors are Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Alexandrinus, both on display at the British Library.

The Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts (CSNTM) is pleased to announce that a six-person team, in a four-week expedition during July–August 2013, digitized all the Greek biblical papyri at the Chester Beatty Library. The CBL has granted permission to CSNTM to post the images.

 

Number	Type	Date
Rahlfs 963	Papyrus	2nd Century
Second century manuscript on papyrus; 55 leaves, 2 columns, fragmentary, up to 36 lines per column; Contents: LXX (Septuagint) Numbers and Deuteronomy. Images are from the Chester Beatty Collection. Location: Dublin, Chester Beatty Library Shelf Number: Rahlfs 963 (CBL BP VI)
Rahlfs 2149	Papyrus	4th Century
Fourth century manuscript on papyrus; 4 leaves, single column, up to 34 lines per column; Contents: LXX (Septuagint): Psalms 72.6–88.2 (sans Ps76). Images are from the Chester Beatty Collection. Location: Dublin, Chester Beatty Library Shelf Number: CBL BP XIII
Rahlfs 2150	Papyrus	4th Century
Fourth century manuscript on papyrus; 1 leaf, single column, 30 lines per column. Contents: LXX (Septuagint): Psalms 31, 26, and 2. Images are from the Chester Beatty Collection. Location: Dublin, Chester Beatty Library Shelf Number: CBL BP XIV
Rahlfs 968	Papyrus	3rd Century
Early third century manuscript on papyrus; 13 leaves, Single Column, 26 lines per column. Contents: LXX (Septuagint): Daniel and Esther. Images are from the Chester Beatty Library Collection. Location: Dublin, Chester Beatty Library Shelf Number: CBL BP X
Rahlfs 965	Papyrus	3rd Century
Early third century manuscript on papyrus; 36 leaves, single column; Contents: LXX (Septuagint) Isaiah. Images are from the Chester Beatty Collection. Location: Dublin, Chester Beatty Library Shelf Number: Rahlfs 965 (CBL BP VII)
Rahlfs 962	Papyrus	3rd Century
Late third century manuscript on papyrus; 31 leaves, single column, up to 20 lines per column; Contents: LXX (Septuagint) Genesis 8–46. Images are from the Chester Beatty Collection. Location: Dublin, Chester Beatty Library Shelf Number: CBL BP V
Rahlfs 961	Papyrus	4th Century
Early fourth century manuscript on papyrus; 51 leaves, 2 columns, fragmentary, up to 38 lines per column; Contents: LXX (Septuagint) Genesis 9–44. Images are from the Chester Beatty Collection. Location: Dublin, Chester Beatty Library Shelf Number: CBL BP IV
Rahlfs 964	Papyrus	4th Century
Fourth century manuscript on papyrus; 2 leaves, single column, 33 lines per column; Contents: LXX (Septuagint) Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) 36.28–37.11; 37.1–122. 46.16b–47.2; 46.6–11. Images are from the Chester Beatty Collection. Location: Dublin, Chester Beatty Library Shelf Number: Rahlfs 964 (CBL BP XI)
Rahlfs 967	Papyrus	3rd Century
Early third century manuscript on papyrus; 9 leaves, 2 columns, fragmentary, up to 32 lines; Contents: LXX (Septuagint) Ezekiel and Esther. Images are from the Chester Beatty Collection. Location: Dublin, Chester Beatty Library Shelf Number: Rahlfs 967 (CBL BP IX)
Rahlfs 966	Papyrus	2nd or 3rd Century
Late second century or early third century manuscript on papyrus; 2 leaves, single column, fragmentary, up to 15 lines per column; Contents: LXX (Septuagint) Jeremiah 4.30–5.1; 5.9–13; 5.13–14; 5.23–24. Images are from the Chester Beatty Collection. Location: Dublin, Chester Beatty Library Shelf Number: CBL BP VIII
Not yet catalogued	Papyrus	Unknown
Manuscript on papyrus; 1 leaf, fragmentary; Contents: LXX (Septuagint) Genesis, Enoch and Romans (folio 18 of P46). Images from the Chester Beatty Collection. Location: Dublin, Chester Beatty Library Shelf Number: CBL BP 190
Not yet catalogued	Papyrus	4th or 5th Century
Fourth or fifth century manuscript on papyrus; 1 leaf, fragmentary; Contents: Apology of Phileas and unknown text. Images are from the Chester Beatty Collection. Location: Dublin, Chester Beatty Library Shelf Number: CBL BP X001
Not yet catalogued	Papyrus	4th Century
Fourth century manuscript on papyrus; 8 Leaves + 1 fragment plate, single column, up to 44 lines per column; Contents: LXX (Septuagint); Enoch and Melito. Images from the Chester Beatty Collection. Location: Dublin, Chester Beatty Library Shelf Number: CBL BP XII
Not yet catalogued	Papyrus	3rd or 4th Century
Third or fourth century manuscript on papyrus; 8 leaves, single column; Contents: the Apocryphon of Jannes and Jambres the Magicians. Images are from the Chester Beatty Collection. Location: Dublin, Chester Beatty Library Shelf Number: CBL BP XVI
Not yet catalogued	Lectionary	12th Century
Late twelfth century Armenian lectionary of the Gospels on parchment; 259 leaves, 2 columns, 21 lines per column. Images are from the Chester Beatty Collection. Location: Dublin, Chester Beatty Library Shelf Number: CBL ARM 624
P46	Papyrus	2nd-3rd Century
Late second century or early third century (c. 200) manuscript of Paul on papyrus; 86 leaves, single column, 23–26 lines per column. Images are from the Chester Beatty Collection. Location: Dublin, Chester Beatty Library Shelf Number: CBL BP II (Dublin)
P47	Papyrus	3rd Century
Late third century manuscript of Revelation on papyrus; 10 leaves, single column, 25–30 lines per column. Images are from the Chester Beatty Collection. Location: Dublin, Chester Beatty Library Shelf Number: CBL BP III
P97	Papyrus	6th–7th Century
Sixth or seventh century manuscript of the Gospels on papyrus; 1 leaf, single column, 11–27 lines per column. Images are from the Chester Beatty Collection. Location: Dublin, Chester Beatty Library Shelf Number: CBL BP XVII
P99	Papyrus	5th Century
Late fifth century manuscript of Paul on papyrus; Greek-Latin diglot; 16 leaves (8 bifolia), single column, 27–32 lines per column. Images are from the Chester Beatty Collection. Location: Dublin, Chester Beatty Library Shelf Number: CBL BP XXI
GA 106	Minuscule	11th–12th Century
Eleventh or twelfth century minuscule of the Gospels on parchment; 212 leaves, single column, 22 lines per column. Images are from the Chester Beatty Collection. Location: Chester Beatty Library, Dublin Shelf Number: CBL W 135
GA 2603	Minuscule	12th Century
Twelfth century minuscule of the Gospels on parchment; 255 leaves, single column, 24-26 lines per column. Images are from the Chester Beatty Collection. Location: Dublin, Chester Beatty Library Shelf Number: CBL W 134
GA 2604	Minuscule	12th Century
Twelfth century minuscule of the Gospels with commentary on parchment; 378 leaves, single column, 20 lines per column. Images are from the Chester Beatty Collection. Location: Dublin, Chester Beatty Library Shelf Number: CBL W 139
GA 2605	Minuscule	13th Century
Thirteenth century minuscule of the Gospels on parchment; 176 leaves, single column, 24-27 lines per column. Images are from the Chester Beatty Collection. Location: Dublin, Chester Beatty Library Shelf Number: CBL W 140
GA 2606	Minuscule	13th Century
Thirteenth century minuscule of the Gospels on parchment; 119 leaves, single column, 28–30 lines per column. Images are from the Chester Beatty Collection. Location: Dublin, Chester Beatty Library Shelf Number: CBL W 141
GA Lect 1026	Lectionary	17th Century
Seventeenth century (1647) lectionary of the Gospels on paper; 1 leaf, 2 columns, 27 lines per column. Images are from the Chester Beatty Collection. Location: Dublin, Chester Beatty Library Shelf Number: CBL W 143.4.13
GA Lect 1027	Lectionary	17th Century
Seventeenth century (1610) lectionary of the Gospels on paper; 14 leaves, single column, 29 lines per column. Images are from the Chester Beatty Collection. Location: Dublin, Chester Beatty Library Shelf Number: CBL W 143.4.4–12, 14, 15; 143.5.1, 2, 4
GA Lect 1030	Lectionary	16th Century
Sixteenth century (1596) lectionary of the Gospels on paper; 1 leaf, single column, 18 lines per column. Images are from the Chester Beatty Collection. Location: Dublin, Chester Beatty Library Shelf Number: CBL W 143.5.3
GA Lect 1031	Lectionary	16th Century
Sixteenth century (1599) lectionary of the Gospels on paper; 3 leaves, 2 columns, 25 lines per column. Images are from the Chester Beatty Collection. Location: Dublin, Chester Beatty Library Shelf Number: CBL W 143.4.1, 2, 3
GA Lect 1957	Lectionary	10th–11th Century
Tenth or eleventh century majuscule lectionary on parchment; 200 leaves, 2 columns, 22 lines per column; Contents: lectionary contains weekday readings from Easter to Pentecost, and Saturday and Sunday readings for other weeks. Images are from the Chester Beatty Collection. Location: Dublin, Chester Beatty Library Shelf Number: CBL W 138
GA Lect 2450	Lectionary	11th Century
Eleventh century lectionary of the Gospels on parchment; 1 leaf, 2 columns, 24 lines per column. This manuscript is included in the CBL ARM 624. Images are from the Chester Beatty Collection. Location: Dublin, Chester Beatty Library Shelf Number: CBL ARM 624
P45	Papyrus	3rd Century
Third century manuscript of the Gospels on papyrus; 30 leaves, single column, approximately 32-33 lines per column. Images are from the Chester Beatty Collection. Location: Dublin, Chester Beatty Library and Vienna, Austrian National Library Shelf Number: CBL BP I (Dublin), Pap. G. 31974 (Vienna)
P66	Papyrus	2nd–3rd Century
Late second or early third century manuscript of the Gospels on papyrus; 1 leaf, single column, 10–11 lines per column. Public images are from the Chester Beatty Collection. Images from other institutions available for private viewing. Location: Cologny/Genf, Bodmeriana; Dublin, Chester Beatty Library; Cologne, Univ. Inst. fur Altertumskunde Shelf Number: various