Actually, compared to other figures from the ancient world, there aren't *that* many early manuscripts about Jesus. That's a common misconception. Here's a breakdown of why the number is often perceived as high, and then a comparison to other figures:
Why the Perception of Many?
* Importance to a Large Group: Jesus is a central figure in Christianity, which has become the world's largest religion. This means there has been a massive effort over centuries to preserve and study texts related to him. The sheer number of Christians invested in these texts leads to continuous discovery and analysis.
* Focus of Scholarly Attention: Due to Christianity's historical and cultural impact, Jesus and the New Testament have been the focus of intense scholarly scrutiny for centuries. This has led to the discovery, cataloging, and preservation of even small fragments of manuscripts.
* Spread of Christianity: Christianity spread rapidly throughout the Roman Empire and beyond. This created a demand for written materials, leading to the production and dissemination of numerous copies of the Gospels and other New Testament books.
* Survival Bias: Some manuscripts survived due to chance events, like being stored in dry climates (like Egypt).
The Reality: Manuscript Evidence Compared to Other Historical Figures
While we have a significant number of New Testament manuscripts, it's important to put that into perspective:
* Quantity: There are around 5,800 Greek New Testament manuscripts. This is certainly a significant number. However, the vast majority of these are *late* (medieval), not *early*.
* Early Manuscripts: The number of *early* (2nd and 3rd century) manuscripts is much smaller. Fragments like the John Rylands fragment (P52) are significant, but they are just fragments.
* Completeness: Very few early manuscripts contain complete books of the New Testament. Most are fragments of chapters or verses.
Comparing to Other Ancient Figures:
This is where the perspective changes. Consider these examples:
* Julius Caesar: We have around 10 manuscripts of Caesar's *Gallic Wars*, the earliest dating to about 900 years after his death.
* Tacitus (Roman Historian): We have around 20 manuscripts of his works, the earliest dating to around 1000 years after he wrote them.
* Plato: We have around 7 manuscripts of his *Republic*, the earliest complete manuscript dating to about 1200 years after he wrote it. However, there are fragments that date to within a few hundred years.
Why the Discrepancy?
* Material Availability: Papyrus (the primary writing material) degrades over time. Books were expensive, and copying was laborious.
* Preservation: Historical circumstances greatly impacted the preservation of texts. Libraries were destroyed, and knowledge was lost during periods of upheaval.
* Religious Value: Christians viewed the New Testament writings as sacred scripture and invested significant resources in copying and preserving them. Other works, while important, didn't hold the same religious significance for such a widespread group.
In Conclusion:
While the number of New Testament manuscripts is substantial, it's not exceptionally large compared to other ancient texts when considering the time gap between the original writings and the surviving manuscripts. The perception of a high number is primarily due to the importance of Jesus and Christianity, the sustained effort to preserve these texts, and the focus of scholarly attention. It is also important to note that the number of *early* manuscripts is relatively small, compared to later, medieval versions. The relative abundance of New Testament manuscripts (especially later copies) speaks to the enduring importance of the text, not necessarily its exceptional preservation compared to all other ancient writings.