Like the celebrated novel of Alessandro Manzoni (not to mention Umberto Eco's), this book begins with a manuscript, and attempts to tell a story from it. Although unlike them, it cannot tell the story of how the manuscript was found by the author, I can describe how the book came to completion.

It is the child of a twelve years' study of the Codex Bezae. The first eight of these were spent in the parochial ministry so that my study was regular but not prolonged – like Stephanus' verse divisions, it was done inter equitandum. Since then, the advantages of vacations and finally study leave have given me longer periods to spend on it.

During this time, a great many people have helped, encouraged, and listened in various ways. My first and deepest thanks are to Karen, to whom I dedicate this book. Matthew Black, my first teacher in textual criticism, introduced me to Codex Bezae. Dr Caroline Hammond Bammel and Dr Ernst Bammel gave me vital advice in deciding on a subject for study, and offered great encouragement. Professor Neville Birdsall has been a colleague in Birmingham from whose company and seminars I have derived much pleasure and the opportunity to try out some ideas, as has the textual criticism seminar of the Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas. Professor T.J. Brown gave his time on several occasions to encourage my work, in typically generous fashion.