The Extant Manuscript Evidence for the New Testament There is more abundant and accurate manuscript evidence for the New Testament than for any other book from the ancient world. There are more manuscripts copied with greater accuracy and earlier dating than for any secular classic from antiquity. First, let us examine the number and nature of the New Testament manuscripts themselves.1 The John Rylands Fragment (P52). This papyrus contains five verses from John 18:31–33, 37–38. It is dated between