Originally delivered as one of the Jowett Lectures for 1906, the contents of this booklet emerged during the first quest for the historical Jesus. Somewhat surprisingly, Burkitt discovered that historical criticism increased the historical credibility of the Synoptic Gospels in his estimation. This second lecture in the series addresses the historical value of the Gospel of Mark. Addressing the question, does the story of Jesus, as given in the Gospel of Mark, approve itself as an adequate historical representation of the major events in Jesus’ life, Burkitt suggests that internal consistency and harmony with the social history of the times are essential. Finding nothing implausible in the account, he moves on to consider the thorny question of miracles. The historical origin of the church forms a question that is also put to Mark’s Gospel, followed by an exploration of the origins of the doctrines represented in Jesus’ teaching in the same Gospel. Tracing the politico-historical journeys of Jesus in the Gospel affirms to Burkitt’s satisfaction that Mark is reliable history.

Francis Crawford Burkitt (1864-1935) began his academic career as a student of mathematics. While at Cambridge University he moved to Divinity, becoming the Norrisian Professor. His interest in the text of the New Testament led him to study Syriac manuscripts and to publish widely in the field. He was a fellow of the British Academy.