examples of a numerous class of MSS, derived from various origins though brought into existence in the first instance by similar circumstances. These four are the Codex Vaticanus (B), containing the whole New Testament except the later chapters of Hebrews, the Pastoral Epistles, Philemon, and the Apocalypse; the Codex Sinaiticus (א), containing all the books entire; the Codex Alexandrinus (A), containing all, except about the first 24 chapters of St Matthew's and two leaves of St John's Gospel and three of 2 Corinthians; and the Codex Ephraemi (C), containing nearly three fifths of the whole (145 out of 238 leaves), dispersed over almost every book, one or more sheets having perished out of almost every quire of four sheets. The two former appear to belong to the middle part of the fourth century: the two latter are certainly of somewhat later date, and are assigned by the best judges to the fifth century.
99. The remaining uncial MSS are all of smaller though variable size. None of them shew signs of having formed part of a complete Bible, and it is even doubtful whether any of them belonged to a complete New Testament. Six alone (including one consisting of mere fragments) are known to have contained more than one of the groups of books, if we count the Acts and the Apocalypse as though they were each a group. The Gospels are contained in fair completeness in nineteen uncial MSS (including אABC), the Acts in nine, the Catholic Epistles in seven, the Pauline Epistles in nine (besides the transcripts E3 and F2), and the Apocalypse in five. The numbers given for the Gospels, Acts, and Pauline Epistles do not include some more or less considerable fragments: but the line is hard to draw, and much is lost of C and Γ, which are included in the list.
100. After the four great Bibles the chronological distribution becomes remarkable. The fifth century supplies (besides AC) only Q and T, both consisting of fragments of Luke and John: the sixth century supplies for the Gospels D (all four, but incomplete), Ν and Ρ (fragments of all four), Σ (Matthew and Mark, almost complete), R (fragments of Luke), and Ζ (fragments of Matthew); for the Acts D and E2 (both incomplete); and for the Pauline Epistles D2 (not quite complete): under each head some lesser fragments are not reckoned. The seventh century furnishes merely a few fragments; the eighth, besides lesser fragments, EL (Gospels), Ξ (large