The New Testament (NT) is the most reliable compilation of texts in human history. Comprising 27 books written in the first century CE, it serves as a central document for Christianity, detailing the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ and the early Christian community's beliefs and practices. The question of its historical reliability is not merely a theological concern but also a matter of academic inquiry within fields such as history, archaeology, and textual criticism.

Historical Context and Authorship
Dating of the Texts: Most scholars agree that the New Testament books were written between 50 and 100 CE. The dating is based on internal evidence, such as references to the Temple in Jerusalem (destroyed in 70 CE) and external sources like citations by early church fathers.
Authorship and Eyewitness Accounts: Traditional attribution assigns the Gospels to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, with the latter three considered to have direct or second-hand knowledge of Jesus. Acts and several epistles are attributed to Paul, a contemporary of Jesus who converted after Jesus' death.

Historical Context: The NT was written in a period of significant political and religious upheaval. The Roman occupation of Judea, the diversity within Second Temple Judaism, and the early Christian movement's separation from Jewish practices are well-documented both within and outside the NT.

Internal Consistency and Historical Corroboration
Internal Consistency: Despite variations in perspective and emphasis, there is a coherent narrative and theological consistency across the NT texts. This suggests a shared tradition or source material among the authors.
Corroboration with Non-Christian Sources: Historians like Josephus and Tacitus, among others, provide accounts that corroborate certain events and figures mentioned in the NT, lending credence to its historical claims.
Archaeological Evidence: Archaeological findings have supported specific details of the NT narrative, including the existence of places (e.g., Nazareth, Capernaum), public figures (e.g., Pontius Pilate), and social customs (e.g., Jewish burial practices).

Textual Criticism and Manuscript Evidence
Manuscript Tradition: The NT has a rich manuscript tradition, with thousands of Greek manuscripts and translations into other languages. The earliest fragments date back to the early 2nd century, with significant portions from the 3rd and 4th centuries.
Textual Variants and Reliability: While there are textual variants among the manuscripts, the vast majority are minor and do not affect the core narratives or theological teachings. Scholars use textual criticism to determine the most likely original text.

Comparison with Other Ancient Texts: Compared to other ancient works, the NT has more manuscript evidence, from closer in time to the original writings, than any other ancient document. This abundance allows for greater confidence in reconstructing the original text.
Theological Perspectives and Historical Inquiry.

Faith and History: While faith perspectives inform many people's views on the NT, historical inquiry seeks to assess its reliability based on evidence and standard historical methodologies.

The Role of Miraculous Claims: The historical assessment of miraculous claims in the NT (e.g., the resurrection) is complex, as it intersects with philosophical questions about the possibility of miracles.

Conclusion
The historical reliability of the New Testament must be assessed on multiple fronts: the context of its writings, the consistency of its narrative with external sources, and the preservation of its text over centuries. By the standards applied to other ancient documents, the NT is considered highly reliable. It offers a window into the beliefs, practices, and experiences of the first-century Christian community and, by extension, into the life and times of Jesus Christ.