As a valued member of our community, you understand the significance of preserving the history of the New Testament. At The Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts (CSNTM), we devote ourselves to this mission, in part, by digitizing manuscripts that connect us back to the early witnesses of the New Testament text. Today, I am eager to share with you one of the many “whys” behind this work.
Preserving the Perishable
What we know as the text of the Greek New Testament derives from the contents of individual manuscripts, each of which bears witness to the words written by the closest followers of Jesus Christ 2,000 years ago. Unfortunately, every manuscript in the world is written on perishable material, making each one susceptible to damage and deterioration. In fact, much of the ink, lettering, and artwork we observe in ancient manuscripts today are at risk of disappearing. While past scholars like John Mill endeavored to conserve the literary contents of these manuscripts, CSNTM is tasked with preserving the entirety of the document through modern digitization.
Facing Modern Threats
Beyond the threat of time and deterioration, many manuscripts are vulnerable to theft, intentional damage, or poor preservation. Unfortunately, our team often encounters manuscripts that have been affected by these various perils. In our recent blog post Denis Salgado, CSNTM’s Digital Collection Research Fellow, illustrates the effects of inadequate preservation on a manuscript. Read the full blog post here: One More Reason Why We Do What We Do
“We are committed to the physical and digital preservation of ancient artifacts, especially those that have transmitted the text of the New Testament.”
Denis Salgado
Advancing the Legacy of John Mill
Just as John Mill journeyed to locate, study, and compile his research on Greek New Testament manuscripts, CSNTM is dedicated to preserving these documents and making them accessible to all. Leveraging modern technology, we can further Mill’s mission by providing high-quality digital collections of manuscripts online, ensuring their contents are preserved and accessible to scholars and the public worldwide.
Your Role in This Mission
Your partnership with CSNTM enables the capture of archival-quality images that preserve the most minute details of a manuscript, ensuring that future generations can study portions of the text that may not be physically accessible to them. And now, with your doubled donation, we can continue advancing this mission and come even closer to digitizing every extant Greek New Testament manuscript in the world.
Help PreserveNew Testament Manuscripts