Up until the ninth century, Greek texts were written entirely in upper-case letters, referred to as uncials. During the ninth and tenth centuries, minuscules came to replace the older style. Most Greek uncial manuscripts were recopied in this period and their parchment leaves typically scraped clean for re-use. Consequently, surviving Greek New Testament manuscripts from before the ninth century are relatively rare, but nine (over half of the total that survive) witness a more-or-less pure Alexandrian text. These include the oldest near-complete manuscripts of the New Testament: Codex Vaticanus Graecus 1209 and Codex Sinaiticus (both believed to date from the early fourth century).
Up until the ninth century Greek texts were written entirely in upper-case letters referred to as uncials During the ninth and tenth centuries minuscules came to replace the older style Most Greek uncial manuscripts were recopied in this period and their parchment leaves typically scraped clean for re-use Consequently surviving Greek New Testament manuscripts from before the ninth century are relatively rare but nine (over half of the total that survive) witness a more-or-less pure Alexandrian text These include the oldest near-complete manuscripts of the New Testament Codex Vaticanus Graecus 1209 and Codex Sinaiticus (both believed to date from the early fourth century)