Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, has received a high definition, full-color digital copy of one of the oldest and best manuscripts of the Bible, Codex Vaticanus. As its name indicates, the original manuscript is stored in the Vatican Library in Rome. The original manuscript was written about the middle of the fourth century and contains both the New and Old Testaments. The copy in Concordia Seminary's possession is identified as "number 17 of 450" which have been made.

"We are thrilled to have this manuscript as an added resource for our students, faculty and others who wish to engage in serious study of the Scriptures," commented Dr. James W. Voelz, professor of exegetical theology at Concordia Seminary and dean of the Seminary's graduate school. "Codex Vaticanus is extremely influential in biblical studies, since it is generally recognized to contain the most reliable text of the New Testament. We are blessed to be the only seminary in the St. Louis area and one of a select few in the United States to have one of the new copies of this manuscript."

The manuscript copy will be housed in the Concordia Seminary Library and will be available for research purposes.

For more information, contact the Concordia Seminary Library, 801 DeMun Ave., St. Louis, MO 63105; (314) 505-7030, or by e-mail (library@csl.edu).