The Gospel of Barnabas, the Diatessaron, and Method

Since the beginning of the 20th century research aiming at reconstructing Tatian's lost Gospel harmony Diatessaron utilizes a growing number of late 13-15 c. texts extant in various Western vernaculars for this purpose. As the most recent example Jan Joosten introduced the so-called Gospel of Barnabas, a composition perhaps as late as the 16th or 17th century as a potential source for readings of the Diatessaron (2nd c.). With special emphasis on methodological issues, this essay offers a detailed critique of Joosten's analysis as well as a general critique of that type of research as carried out by other scholars in the past. © 2007 Brill Academic Publishers.