Codex Vaticanus (Codex B)

CODEX VATICANUS (CODEX B)
This manuscript dates to the middle of the 4th century and contains both Old and New Testaments along with the Apocrypha except for the books of Maccabees. The early chapters of Genesis are missing along with the last few books of the New Testament including the epistles to Timothy, Titus Philemon and Revelation.

1. Initial Discovery: In 1809 when the French Emperor Napoleon Boneparte exiled the Pope to Avingnon, the Vatican Library was transported to France. Among the thousands of volumes was found a manuscript of the New Testament known today as Codex Vaticanus. Before any serious study could be done on the codex, Napoleon was overthrown and the Library along with Codex Vaticanus was returned to Rome.

2. Tregelles: It was not until 1843 that Samuel P. Tregelles, a professor of New Testament Literature at Leipzig University, received permission from the Pope to study the manuscript. He was allowed only six hours. Two years later, Tregelles was again permitted to study the manuscript, this time for three months. However, he was allowed to bring with him no writing materials and could take no notes. Guards watched him continually to make certain that he did no copying of the manuscript. During those three months, Tregelles memorized the entire manuscript, going home each day and writing down what he had memorized.

Returning to Leipzig, Tregelles published his findings. The Pope was furious at having been outwitted, but was powerless to do anything about it. Finally, Pope Pius XI allowed the manuscript to be photographed in 1859. It is now considered to have been written at about 350 A.D.