Skip to main content

Secondary sourceBook1911

The Gospel History and Its Transmission

F. Crawford Burkitt · 1911

A 1911 scholarly study by F. Crawford Burkitt examining how the Gospel accounts of Jesus were passed down over time.

A scholarly study of how the Gospel stories about Jesus were transmitted, useful for examining the reliability of sources about him.

Ask Jesus Christ about this sourceView the original(opens in new tab)
The Gospel History and Its TransmissionPDF · 410 pages
F. Crawford Burkitt, The Gospel History and Its Transmission, 1911. Digitized copy, Internet Archive.

About this source

What it is

This is a scholarly book published in 1911 by F. Crawford Burkitt, Norrisian Professor of Divinity at Cambridge. It began as a series of lectures and examines how the Gospel accounts of Jesus's life were transmitted and preserved. The scanned copy is held by the Internet Archive.

Why it matters

Burkitt's work is an example of modern source criticism, the method scholars use to study how ancient texts about Jesus came down to us. It shows how, by the early 20th century, historians were questioning and testing the reliability of the Gospels rather than simply accepting them.

Look closer

  • Why might it matter how a story about someone's life was passed down over time?
  • What kind of evidence would a historian need to study the transmission of ancient texts?
  • How does Burkitt's purpose differ from that of a preacher or devotional writer?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Jesus Christ on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

More Jesus Christ sources

Meet the AI Jesus Christ →
Scanned page of a printed book in Arabic-script text with a decorative title ornament reading Injil Marqus, and a section heading below. The text is in columns of right-to-left lines with verse numbers 1 to 7 along the right margin, enclosed in a double-ruled frame on yellowed paper.Book

Secondary source

Gospel of Mark

Mark the Evangelist · c. AD 66-75

Black and white woodcut print of a bearded man with long hair and a robe, shown in an oval frame with a Latin inscription and ornate decorative corners. The Latin text includes Psalm 44 wording about grace and beauty.Artifact

Secondary source

Jesus Christ, woodcut by Christoffel van Sichem III

Christoffel van Sichem III · c. 1645

Photograph of a small fragment of ancient papyrus with brown fibrous texture and irregular torn edges, bearing several lines of dark Greek uncial script. A metric ruler labeled inches is at the left edge against a plain white background.Book

Secondary source

Gospel of Matthew

Matthew the Apostle · late 1st century AD

Black-and-white stipple engraving of a bearded man with long curly hair and a halo, gazing upward, one hand raised, the other holding a loaf of bread over a table with a chalice and plate. Titled Salvator Mundi; inscribed painted by Carlo Dolci, engraved by Anth. Cardon, published at Windsor by W. Hopkins, June 4th 1811.Painting

Secondary source

Jesus Christ blessing the Host

Carlo Dolci (painting); Anth. Cardon (engraving) · 4 June 1811

Sepia engraving of two bearded figures on a tan background. On the left, a hairy, partly nude man with a staff and animal-skin garment stands barefoot. On the right, a robed bearded man gestures with one hand. Below is a caption reading Antonio Pollaiuolo, born at Florence 1428, was disciple of Andrea del Castagno.Painting

Secondary source

John the Baptist Meets Jesus Christ

Antonio Pollaiuolo

Ready when you are

Start chatting with Jesus Christ now.

20 messages free · No credit card · Available in 50+ languages.

Trial Humy for freeGet a quote for institutions