The earliest surviving physical manuscript directly associated with Christianity is the tiny papyrus fragment known as Rylands Library Papyrus P52 (P52 / St. John's fragment).

• Size: ~3.5 × 2.5 inches (credit-card sized)
• Content: John 18:31–33 (recto) and 18:37–38 (verso) in Greek
• Date: Early to mid-2nd century CE (~125–175 CE most commonly accepted)

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Why it's the earliest:

• Oldest known fragment of any New Testament text
• Discovered in Egypt, acquired 1920, published 1935 by C.H. Roberts
• Shows Gospel of John was already circulating widely by early 2nd century
• Currently housed at John Rylands University Library, Manchester, UK

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Comparison: No complete New Testament exists before the 4th century. The oldest complete NT is Codex Sinaiticus (~330–360 CE).

Bottom line: P52 is the oldest surviving piece of the New Testament. As of 2026 — still nothing older is undisputed.