The Garima Gospels are one of the Christian world's oldest and most exquisite treasures. Until recently, scholars had always assumed that the two 10-inch-thick volumes, which are written on goat skin and brightly illustrated, dated back to the early 11th century. But recent carbon-testing may show what the monks believed all along: the books are among the oldest gospels in existence. C-14 dating has put the creation of the two books to somewhere between 330 and 650, making them a close contender to being the most ancient complete Christian texts. The only major collection of scripture that is known to be older is the Codex Sinaiticus, a copy of the Bible hand-written in Greek which dates back to the third century.
Editorial note: Carbon 14 dating is not as infallible as this article, and most secularists assume. There are always unprovable assumptions built into dating items in the past. However, if the particular assumptions built into the dating of these MSS are correct, there may be warrant for redating these MSS. The historical tradition connected to these MSS seems to corroborate the C-14 test in this instance.
