BIBLE HISTORY DAILY

The Canonical Gospels

Library Explorer

Our feature called “Library Explorer,” enables you to dig deeper into a select topic of Bible history and archaeology each week. This allows us to draw on the wealth of material we have produced since 1974, utilizing some of the 9,000+ articles that are available to Digital and All Access subscribers in the BAS Library.

Our next collection is, “The Canonical Gospels.“ It will be available, free to all, until Monday, May 4, 2020. Stay tuned for future topics, introduced each Friday.

Our website, blog and email newsletter are a crucial part of Biblical Archaeology Society's nonprofit educational mission

This costs substantial money and resources, but we don't charge a cent to you to cover any of those expenses.

If you'd like to help make it possible for us to continue Bible History Daily, BiblicalArchaeology.org, and our email newsletter please donate. Even $5 helps:

The Canonical Gospels

The four canonical Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John narrate the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Biblical Archaeology Society editors have hand-selected articles from the BAS Library that cast each of the canonical Gospels in a new light. Explore the earliest-known versions and authors of the canonical Gospels in this BAS Library Special Collection.

Was The Gospel of Matthew Originally Written In Hebrew?

Bible Review, Winter 1986
by George Howard

Matthew, Mark, Luke and John—the four canonical Gospels—have come down to us only in Greek. The Gospels we use today—in English or in other languages—are translations from old Greek manuscripts. By contrast, what Christians call the Old Testament—the Hebrew Bible—was written in Hebrew, with a few short sections in a sister language called Aramaic. Were the canonical Gospels originally written in Greek? In “Was the Gospel of Matthew Originally Written in Hebrew,” Biblical scholar George Howard presents formidable evidence that at least one of the Gospels, and perhaps more, may originally have been written in Hebrew! Learn what Howard discovered in a little-known 14th century manuscript preserving the type of Hebrew written in the first century.

To Be Continued … The Many Endings of the Gospel of Mark

Bible Review, Aug 2001
by Michael W. Holmes

How did Mark end his gospel? It’s difficult to tell from the nine versions of his last chapter that we have today. The shortest version ends with the empty tomb; Jesus is never seen again. In the longest, Jesus reappears three times before he rises to heaven. The difference is critical—to Bible scholars trying to determine which ending is the earliest, to biographers mapping the course of Jesus’ life, to historians trying to trace how it came to be recorded, to theologians contemplating Jesus’ resurrection, and to curious readers who simply want to know how the story ends. In “To Be Continued … The Many Endings of the Gospel of Mark,” Michael W. Holmes examines the various versions to rethink our understanding of the gospel.

Who Wrote the Gospel of Luke?

Bible Review, Apr 2001
by Mikeal Parsons

In “Who Wrote the Gospel of Luke?” Mikeal Parsons investigates this seemingly obvious question. The gospel itself never reveals the author’s name. However, over the centuries, numerous traditions have evolved around this somewhat shadowy evangelist: Luke is credited with writing not only his gospel but the New Testament Book of Acts as well. He is portrayed as a physician, a friend of Paul’s and even a painter, and is described as a gentile writing for a gentile audience. “Who Wrote the Gospel of Luke?” investigates the individual behind the author of two of the most significant contributions by an early Christian to our understanding of the founder of Christianity and its first followers.

The Un-Gospel of John

Bible Review, Feb 2002
by Robin Griffith-Jones

Commentators have long debated whether John provides the truest portrait of Jesus or the least accurate. But perhaps they should be asking another question altogether: What kind of book is the so-called Gospel of John? The brisk dialogue and memorable sayings of the Synoptics give way to a handful of elaborate set pieces in John. In “The Un-Gospel of John,” Robin Griffith-Jones considers this more spiritual gospel. While the other gospels tell Jesus’ stories from the outside, John reveals the heart of Jesus.

In these four Bible Review articles, acclaimed scholars shed new light on our understanding of the recording of Jesus’ life and deeds. Every article ever published in Biblical Archaeology Review, Bible Review and Archaeology Odyssey are available online to subscribers in the BAS Library.

Not a BAS Library or All-Access Member yet? Join today.