Categories of New Testament manuscripts

New Testament manuscripts in Greek are categorized into five groups.Aland:106f,332-337. This categorization scheme was introduced in 1981 by Kurt and Barbara Aland in Der Text des Neuen Testaments. The categories are based on how each manuscript relates to the various text-types. Generally speaking, earlier, Alexandrian manuscripts are category I while later, Byzantine manuscripts are category V. 
== Description of categories == 
=== Category I === 
This category represents the earliest and best manuscripts. Fourth century and earlier papyri and uncials are in this category, as are manuscripts of the Alexandrian text-type. The manuscripts in this category are important when considering textual problems and are considered to be a good representation of the autograph.
=== Category II === 
The manuscripts in this category are similar to category I manuscripts, and are important in textual consideration of the autograph. However, the texts usually contain some alien influences, such as those found in the Byzantine text-type. Egyptian texts fall in this category.
=== Category III === 
The manuscripts in category III are important when discussing the history of the textual traditions and to a lesser degree for establishing the original text. The manuscripts usually contain independent readings, and have a distinctive character. f1, f13 are examples of manuscript families that fall within this category. Manuscripts of this category usually present mixed or eclectic text-type. 
=== Category IV ===
Category IV contains the few manuscripts that follow the text of the Codex Bezae (D). These texts are of the Western text-type. 
=== Category V ===
Byzantine and mostly Byzantine texts fall under this category. 
== Distribution of Greek manuscripts by century and category == 
See [Aland:159-162].
 	I 	II 	III 	IV 	V
150 	𝔓52, 𝔓90, 𝔓104 	 	 	 	
200 	𝔓32, 𝔓46, 𝔓64/67, 𝔓66, 𝔓77, 0189 	 	 	 	
250 	𝔓1, 𝔓4, 𝔓5, 𝔓9, 𝔓12, 𝔓15, 𝔓20, 𝔓22, 𝔓23, 𝔓27, 𝔓28, 𝔓29, 𝔓30, 𝔓39, 𝔓40, 𝔓45, 𝔓47, 𝔓49, 𝔓53, 𝔓65, 𝔓70, 𝔓75, 𝔓80, 𝔓87, 0220	 	0212 	𝔓48, 𝔓69 	
300 	𝔓13, 𝔓16, 𝔓18, 𝔓37, 𝔓72, 𝔓78, 0162, 𝔓115 	 	 	𝔓38, 0171	
350 	𝔓10, 𝔓24, 𝔓35, 01, 03 	𝔓6, 𝔓8, 𝔓17, 𝔓62, 𝔓71, 𝔓81, 𝔓86, 0185 	𝔓88, 058?, 0169, 0188, 0206, 0207, 0221, 0228, 0231, 0242 	 	
400 	057 	𝔓19, 𝔓51, 𝔓57, 𝔓82, 𝔓85, 0181, 0270 	𝔓21, 𝔓50, 059, 0160, 0176, 0214, 0219 	 	
450 	02 (except Gospels), 0254 	𝔓14, 04, 016, 029, 048, 077, 0172, 0173, 0175, 0201, 0240, 0244, 0274 	02 (Gospels), 032, 062, 068, 069, 0163, 0165 (?), 0166, 0182, 0216, 0217, 0218, 0226, 0227, 0236, 0252, 0261 	05 	026, 061
500 	 	𝔓56, 071, 076, 088, 0232, 0247 	𝔓54, 𝔓63, 072, 0170, 0186, 0213 	 	
550 	 	𝔓33+58, 06, 08, 073, 081, 085, 087, 089, 091, 093 (1 Peter), 094, 0184, 0223, 0225, 0245	𝔓2, 𝔓36, 𝔓76, 𝔓83, 𝔓84, 06, 015, 035, 040, 060, 066, 067, 070, 078, 079, 082, 086, 0143, 0147, 0159, 0187, 0198, 0208, 0222, 0237, 0241, 0251, 0260, 0266	 	022, 023, 024, 027, 042, 043, 064, 065, 093 (Acts), 0246, 0253, 0265?
600 	𝔓26 	𝔓43, 𝔓44, 𝔓55, 083 	𝔓3, 0164, 0199 	 	
650 	𝔓74, 098 	𝔓11, 𝔓31, 𝔓34, 𝔓79, 0102, 0108, 0111, 0204, 0275 	𝔓59, 𝔓68, 096, 097, 099, 0106, 0107, 0109, 0145, 0167, 0183, 0200, 0209, 0210, 0239, 0259, 0262 	 	𝔓73, 0103, 0104, 0211
700 	 	𝔓42, 𝔓61, 	𝔓60 	 	
750 	 	019, 0101, 0114, 0156, 0205, 0234 	𝔓41, 095, 0126, 0127, 0146, 0148, 0161, 0229, 0233, 0238, 0250, 0256 	 	07, 047, 054?, 0116, 0134
800 	 	044 (Catholic epistles) 	044 (except Catholic epistles) 	 	
850 	33 (except Gospels) 	010, 038, 0155, 0271, 33 (Gospels), 892, 2464 	012, 025 (except Acts, Rev), 037, 050, 0122, 0128, 0130, 0131, 0132, 0150, 0269, 565 	 	09, 011, 013, 014, 017, 018, 020, 021, 025 (Acts, Rev), 030, 031, 034, 039, 041, 045, 049, 053?, 063, 0120, 0133, 0135, 0136?, 0151, 0197, 0248, 0255, 0257, 0272, 0273?, 461
900 	 	1841 	0115, 1424 (Mark) 	 	1424 (except Mark), 1841
950 	1739 	0177, 0243?, 1739, 1891, 2329 	051, 075, 0105, 0121a, 0121b, 0140, 0141, 0249, 307, 1582, 1836, 1845, 1874, 1875, 1912, 2110, 2193, 2351 	 	028, 033, 036, 046, 052, 056, 0142, 1874, 1891
1050 	1175, 1243, 2344 	81, 323, 945, 1006, 1854, 1962, 2298 	28, 104, 181, 323, 398, 424, 431, 436, 451, 459, 623, 700, 788, 1243, 1448, 1505, 1838, 1846, 1908, 2138, 2147, 2298, 2344, 2596? 	 	103, 104, 181, 398, 431, 451, 459, 945, 1006, 1448, 1505, 1846, 1854, 2138, 2147, 2298
1100 	 	256, 1735 	1735, 1910 	 	256
1150 	1241 	36, 610, 1611, 2050, 2127 	1 (Gospels), 36, 88, 94?, 157, 326, 330, 346, 378, 543, 826, 828, 917, 983, 1071, 1241, 1319, 1359, 1542b, 1611, 1718, 1942, 2030, 2412, 2541, 2744 	 	1 (except Gospels), 180, 189, 330, 378, 610, 911, 917, 1010, 1241, 1319, 1359, 1542b?, 2127, 2541
1200 	 	 	1573 	 	1573
1250 	2053, 2062 	442, 579, 1292, 1852 	6 (CE, Paul), 13, 94, 180, 206, 218 (epistles), 263, 365, 441, 614, 720, 915, 1398, 1563, 1641, 1852, 2374, 2492, 2516, 2542, 2718? 	 	6 (Gospels, Acts), 94?, 180, 206, 218 (except epistles), 263, 365, 597, 720, 1251?, 1292, 1398, 1642, 1852, 2374, 2400, 2492?, 2516
1300 	 	 	1342 	 	
1350 	2427 	1067, 1409, 1506, 1881 	5, 209, 254, 429 (Paul), 453, 621, 629, 630, 1523, 1534, 1678?, 1842, 1877, 2005, 2197, 2200, 2377 	 	5?, 189, 209, 254, 429 (Paul), 1067, 1409, 1506, 1523, 1524, 1877, 2200
1400 	 	 	2495 	 	
1450 	 	322 	69, 205, 322, 467, 642, 1751, 1844, 1959, 2523, 2652 	 	69, 181, 205, 429 (Rev.), 467, 642, 886, 2523, 2623, 2652?
1500 	 	 	61 (epistles, Rev), 522, 918, 1704, 1884 	 	61 (Gospels, Acts), 522, 918, 1704
1550-	 	 	849, 2544 (Paul) 	 	2544 (except Paul)
== Number of manuscripts by century and category == 
Century 	Category I	Category II	Category III	Category IV	Category V
II 	3 	 	 	 	
II/III 	6 	 	 	 	
III 	25 	 	1 	2 	
III/IV 	8 	 	 	2 	
IV 	5 	8 	10 	 	
IV/V 	1 		7 	7 	 	
V 	2 	16 	19 	1 	2
V/VI 	 	6 	6 	 	
VI 	 	15 	31 	 	12
VI/VII 	1 	4 	3 	 	
VII 	2 	8 	17 	 	4
VII/VIII	 	2 	1 	 	
VIII 	 	6 	12 	 	5
VIII/IX 	 	1 	1 	 	
IX 	3 	7 	12 	 	5
IX/X 	 	1 	2 	 	2
X 	1 	5 	18 	 	10
XI 	3 	7 	24 	 	16
XI/XII 	 	2 	2 	 	1
XII 	1 	5 	24 	 	16
XII/XIII	 	 	1 	 	1
XIII 	2 	4 	21 	 	18
XIII/XIV	 	 	1 	 	
XIV 	1 	4 	17 	 	12
XIV/XV 	 	 	1 	 	
XV 	 	1 	11 	 	9
XVI 	 	 	5 	 	4
XVI/XVII	 	 	2 	 	1
== Limitations == 
This system of classification prefers the Alexandrian text-type. 
Manuscripts that represent the Western text-type are classified as Category IV in Gospels, and Category II/III in the Pauline Letters. This is significant because some scholars believe that some or all of the Minuscule text or the Western texts are closer to the original texts.
Some manuscripts are not classified. Uncial 055 is not because it is a commentary, and according to some authorities, written in a minuscule hand. 𝔓7, 𝔓89, 𝔓121, Uncial 080, Uncial 0100, Uncial 0118, 0174, 0230, 0263, 0264, 0267, 0268 are too brief to classify. Uncial 0144 and 0196 are not accessible. 𝔓25 is not classified because of the Diatessaric character of text.
== See also ==
* List of New Testament papyri
* List of New Testament uncials
* List of New Testament minuscules
* List of New Testament lectionaries
== Notes ==
==References==
*Aland, Kurt and Aland, Barbara. The text of the New Testament: an introduction to the critical editions and to the theory and practice of modern textual criticism. Second revised edition. Translated by Erroll F Rhodes. Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1995. ISBN 0802840981.
*Ewert, David. From Ancient Tablets to Modern Translations: A General Introduction to the Bible. Grand Rapids, Michigan: The Zondervan Corporation, 1983. ISBN 0310457300
==External links==
*Manuscript Categories
*
Category:Bible versions and translations