bMS 624
Abbot, Ezra. Papers, 1870-1882.
Summary Information:
- Call Number: bMS 624
- Title: Abbot, Ezra. Papers, 1870-1882.
- Repository: Andover-Harvard Theological Library, Harvard Divinity School, 45 Francis Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138-1911
- Quantity: 3 boxes
Administrative Information:
- Access: There are no restrictions on access for this collection.
Biographical Information:
Ezra Abbot (1819-1884) is considered one of the most preeminent scholars of New Testament textual criticism in the nineteenth century. Abbot earned his undergraduate degree in 1840 and his MA in 1843, both from Bowdoin College. After leaving Bowdoin, Abbot taught high school in Cambridgeport, Massachusetts, until he acquired the post of assistant librarian of Harvard College in 1856. In 1871 he was named a lecturer on New Testament textual criticism, and in 1872 he was awarded the Bussey Professorship of New Testament Criticism and Interpretation at Harvard Divinity School. He is most well known in academic circles for his editing work for which he received no credit for authorship. However, Abbot's successor, Joseph Henry Thayer, collected a number of Abbot's most well-known published articles in a collection called Critical Essays Selected From the Published Papers of Ezra Abbot (1888). This collection contains Abbot's best known work, The Authorship of the Fourth Gospel: External Evidences (1880), which defends the traditional authorship of the Gospel of John.
Scope and Content:
This collection consists of sermons, notes, and drafts relating to Abbot's work on a revised Bible. There are also newspaper articles and editorials covering the Bible revision.
See related material in the papers of Joseph Henry Thayer, bMS 672.
Container List:
- bMS 624/1 (1) Constitution of committee. Correspondence, including newspaper clippings and notes, 1870-1872.
- bMS 624/1 (2) "Basis for Study."
- bMS 624/1 (3) Ezra Abbot notes, correspondence, et al.
- bMS 624/1 (4) American suggestions (marked copies) and preliminary work.
- bMS 624/1 (5) American suggestions to the English Committee (provisional and fragmentary).
- bMS 624/1 (6) Revisions of Peter, John, Hebrews, Revelation.
- bMS 624/1 (7) Revisions of Timothy, Titus, Hebrews.
- bMS 624/1 (8) Revisions of The Epistles, Revelation.
- bMS 624/1 (9) Revisions with commentary by Ezra Abbot.
- bMS 624/1 (10) First Revision for use of Ezra Abbot: Paul.
- bMS 624/1 (11) First Revision for use of Ezra Abbot: Matthew and Mark.
- bMS 624/1 (12) First Revision for use of Ezra Abbot: John, The Acts.
- bMS 624/2 (1) First Revision for use of Ezra Abbot: Luke, Revelation.
- bMS 624/2 (2) First Revision for use of Ezra Abbot: Epistles.
- bMS 624/2 (3) Suggestions for Second Revision.
- bMS 624/2 (4) List of classes of deviations from the English Second Revision.
- bMS 624/2 (5) Changes made in the Second Revision.
- bMS 624/2 (6) Changes made in the Second Revision.
- bMS 624/2 (7) Co-operative Revision of the New Testament by Alfred Lee, DD.
- bMS 624/2 (8) American Revision Committee. Articles and pictures, Everybody's Paper, Vol. XIII, No. 6, ca. 1881.
- bMS 624/2 (9) The Revised Version. History, p. 7, and editorial, p. 5, The Mail, London, May 18, 1881.
- bMS 624/2 (10) The Revised Version. Letter from a London Vicar, The Mail, London, May 23, 1881.
- bMS 624/2 (11) The Revised Version. Editorial, p. 6, The Mail, London, May 25, 1881.
- bMS 624/2 (12) "The Revised Version," use of p. 1, The Mail, London, May 30, 1881.
- bMS 624/2 (13) "The Doxology Omitted," New York Observer, Vol. 59, No. 22, June 2, 1881.
- bMS 624/2 (14) Brother Gardner Finds no Essential Changes (humor), New York Sun, June 4, 1881.
- bMS 624/2 (15) Revised Version. Report in The Inquirer (Unitarian), June 11, 1881.
- bMS 624/2 (16) The Revised Version. Editorial, Dean of Westminster, The Times, Weekly Edition, July 22, 1881.
- bMS 624/2 (17) The Revision and the Greek Text, by Rev. E.W. Rice, The Episcopal Recorder, Vol. 16, No. 42, January 28, 1882.
- bMS 624/3 (1) "Textual Criticism and Exegesis of the New Testament." This is a bound, handwritten volume. A bookplate indicates it belonged to Charles J. Staples, 1881.