Some people say the NT is false because we don't have any contemporary manuscripts. Have you ever wondered how the New Testament compares with other books of antiquity?
Please read the following data and judge for yourself. There are many books from antiquity that are widely accepted as true. However, all of the following books have far less manuscripts and much less contemporary evidence than the New Testament.
| Author | Book | Date Written | Earliest Copies | Time Gap | # of Copies |
| Homer* | Iliad | 800 B.C. | c. 400 B.C. | c. 400 years | 643 |
| Herodotus | History | 480-425 B.C. | c. A.D. 900 | c. 1,350 years | 8 |
| Thucydides | History | 460-400 B.C. | c. A.D. 900 | c. 1,300 years | 8 |
| Plato | Various | 400 B.C. | c. A.D. 900 | c. 1,300 years | 7 |
| Demosthenes | Various | 300 B.C. | c. A.D. 1100 | c. 1,400 years | 200 |
| Caesar | Gallic Wars | 100-44 B.C. | c. A.D. 900 | c. 1,000 years | 10 |
| Livy | History of Rome | 59 B.C. - A.D. 17 | 4th century (partially), mostly 10th century | c. 400 years
c. 1000 years | 1 partial
19 copies |
| Tacitus | Annals | A.D. 100 | c. A.D. 1100 | c. 1,000 years | 20 |
| Pliny Secundus | Natural History | A.D. 61-113 | c. A.D. 850 | c. 750 years | 7 |
| Various | The New Testament | A.D. 50-100 | c. 114 (fragment)
c. 200 (books) c. 250 (most of N.T.) c. 325 (complete N.T.) | + 50 years
100 years 150 years 225 years | 5366 |
c. = circa (or "around")
This is an excerpt from "The New Evidence That Demands A Verdict", by Josh McDowell, page 38.
* Homer's works have been considered fiction and called into question by some scholars. Therefore, they may not belong on this list. At any rate, if you stumble on the inclusion of Homer, then please ignore it. Josh McDowell included it in his book, so I included it here.
