Codex Alexandrinus

Dating to about AD 425, Codex Alexandrinus is one of the three early Greek manuscripts that contain both the Old and New Testaments in one volume. Although its early history is not known, it is called the “Book from Alexandria” because the first record of it was when it was in Alexandria, Egypt. Codex Alexandrinus has been in England since 1627 – first in the Royal Library, then the British Museum, and now in the British Library. You used to be able to read the history of the codex and view three of its pages at the British Library website.  ​

NOTE: In October, 2023, the British Library’s website experienced one of the worst cyber attacks in British history. In November, 2024 – more than a year later – the British Library said, "We're continuing to experience a major technology outage as a result of a cyber-attack. Our buildings are open as usual, however, the outage is still affecting our website, online systems and services, as well as some onsite services. This is a temporary website, with limited content.” As of the summer of 2025, the page on the British Library website with Codex Alexandrinus was still not available.

Until the British Library's website is restored, you can view a reproduction of Codex Alexandrinus at archive.org.