Textual criticism
The original [[autograph]]s, that is, the original Greek writings and [[Biblical manuscript|manuscripts]] written by the original authors of the New Testament, have not survived. But historically "copies" exist of those original autographs, transmitted and preserved in a number of [[Bible manuscript#Textual criticism|manuscript traditions]]. There have been some minor variations, additions or omissions, in some of the texts. When ancient scribes copied earlier books, they sometimes wrote notes on the margins of the page ("[[Glosses to the Bible#Glosses as marginal notes|marginal glosses]]") to correct their text – especially if a scribe accidentally omitted a word or line – and to comment about the text. When later scribes were copying the copy, they were sometimes uncertain if a note was intended to be included as part of the text.