The manuscript in question was discovered in 1892 at the St. Catherine monastery at the foot of Mount Sinai. It is a fourth- or fifth-century copy of a translation of the four Gospels into Syriac, a dialect of Aramaic, which was a language commonly spoken in Jesus’ day. Some scholars believe the translation was made possibly as early as the end of the first century.

One point of interest is the ending of Mark. Does it end with Mark 16:8, or are there additional verses as in a number of other ancient manuscripts? If Mark 16:8 appeared at the end of a page, then it would be conceivable that there were more verses on a missing page. The computer-enhanced page shows Mark 16:8 at the middle of the left-hand column. Then there is a row of little circles followed by a little space and below that the beginning of Luke. This shows clearly where the book ended. No page or verses were missing.

There were some differences in the text that might contribute to Scriptural study. But, by and large, there were no surprises. This, however, is not a loss. It merely demonstrates that the Bible text as we have it today is essentially the same as what the original writers put down.