Most of the papyri were bought from a dealer by Alfred Chester Beatty, after whom the manuscripts are named, although some leaves and fragments were acquired by the University of Michigan and a few other collectors and institutions.
Kebanyakan naskah itu dibeli dari seorang pedagang barang antik oleh Alfred Chester Beatty, yang namanya dipakai untuk menyebut koleksi tersebut, meskipun beberapa lembaran dan fragmen diambil oleh University of Michigan dan beberapa kolektor serta institusi lainnya.