Transcribing Scripture

A brief insight into how difficult copying the Bible was before the advent of printing;

The scribes dedicated themselves to the task of copying six hours a day for months at a time in a hunched-over posture. Often lighting was poor and conditions were harsh. One scribe described a time when his room was so cold his ink froze and his hand became so stiff he could no longer hold the writing quill.

The article mentions the common Greek letters that were confused with each other: Σ, Ε, Ο, Θ; and Γ, Π, T; thus some variant readings.