Statistics

The Reliability of the New Testament.


“The evidence for our New Testament writings is ever so much greater than the evidence for many writings of classical authors, the authenticity of which no-one dreams of questioning. And if the New Testament were a collection of secular writings, their authenticity would generally be regarded as beyond all doubt. It is a curious fact that historians have often been much readier to trust the New Testament than have many theologians.” F.F. Bruce, The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable? 1949, p. 15.

Author/Text Existing Copies Years between original and earliest surviving copies
Plato 7 1200
Pliny 7 750
Herodotus 8 1300
Thucydides 8 1300
Demosthenes 8 800
Suetonius 8 800
Euripides 9 1300
Aristophanes 10 1200
Caesar 10 1000
Tacitus 20 1000
Aristotle 49 1400
Sophocles 193 1400
Homer/Iliad 643 500
New Testament 24,000 40-70

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