There is no ancient book more reliable than the New Testament. It stands alone.
The time between the original writing and the first copies (Time Gap) is as good as can be expected. And the number of manuscript copies far exceeds any other work.
“The only conclusion one can reasonably reach is that we have more confidence in the NT than in any other document of ancient history. To question the transmission accuracy of the NT texts we have today is to question all of ancient history.”
The table below shows just how superior the New Testament is to other documents. Green is good, Red is bad.
| Author (Work) | Date Written | Time Gap | Number of Manuscripts |
|---|---|---|---|
| NEW TESTAMENT | 50-100 AD | 40 | 5795 |
| Homer (Illiad) | 800 BC | 400 | 1757 |
| Herodotus (History) | 480-425 BC | 1350 | 109 |
| Sophocles (Plays) | 496-406 BC | 150 | 193 |
| Plato (Tetralogies) | 400 BC | 1300 | 210 |
| Caesar (Gallic Wars) | 100-44 BC | 950 | 251 |
| Livy (History of Rome) | 59 BC-AD 17 | 400 | 150 |
| Tacitus (Annals) | 100 AD | 825 | 33 |
| Pliny the Elder (Natural History) | 49-79 AD | 400 | 200 |
| Thucydides (History) | 460-400 BC | 200 | 96 |
| Demosthenes (Speeches) | 300 BC | 1100 | 340 |
