Bezae

Bezae, usually known in scholarly literature as Codex Bezae Cantabrigiensis and often referred to simply as Codex Bezae, is a late antique bilingual manuscript of the New Testament. It is written on parchment and contains portions of the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles in Greek, with a Latin translation presented on facing pages. The manuscript is preserved in the Cambridge University Library and is considered a major witness to early Christian textual history.

Origin and date: Most scholars date Codex Bezae to the 4th or 5th century. Its exact place of origin remains uncertain, but it is commonly associated with the Western textual tradition and a Western Roman Empire provenance, with Gaul as a frequent candidate. The manuscript acquired the name Bezae after Theodore Beza, a 16th‑century French Protestant scholar who owned and studied it; the name has since become standard in reference to the codex.

Textual character: Codex Bezae is a cornerstone of the Western text-type. It preserves a number of readings that differ from the more familiar Byzantine and Alexandrian manuscripts, and its Latin version sometimes reflects variants not always echoed in the Greek text. The bilingual layout provides valuable evidence for early Latin translations and for the transmission of the gospel text in western Christianity.

Significance and legacy: Because of its distinctive readings and antiquity, Codex Bezae has been influential in critical editions of the New Testament and in discussions about the text’s history. It continues to be studied for its linguistic features, scribal practices, and connections within early Christian textual traditions.