David Johannes Trobisch (born on August 18, 1958[2]) is a German scholar whose work has focused on formation of the Christian Bible, ancient New Testament manuscripts and the epistles of Paul.

From 1988 he holds his Doctor of Theology also from the Heidelberg University, under his advisor: Prof. Gerd Theissen with his thesis: Die Entstehung der Paulusbriefsammlung : Studien zu den Anfängen christlicher Publizistik.

[4] From 1995, Trobisch holds his Habilitation with the thesis Die Endredaktion des Neuen Testaments: eine Untersuchung zur Entstehung der christlichen Bibel also from Heidelberg University.

According to Trobisch, almost all extant manuscripts document a closed collection of 27 books, listed in the same order and grouped in the same four volumes, bearing the same titles with very few variants, and all using the same unique system to mark sacred terms (nomina sacra).

Firstly, Polycarp was a well-known person in the mid-second century, who held authority among proto-Catholic Christians in both Rome and Asia Minor.

Thirdly, Polycarp was known to be a vocal opponent of Marcionite Christianity, which Trobisch and many other scholars take to be a major impetus for the development of the New Testament canon.