HOW WE VERIFY EACH NEW TESTAMENT WRITER

Real archaeology · a real map with plotted points · a timeline — one page per author

The New Testament is not one anonymous book — it is 9 identifiable human authors, each with his own page here: the photographed archaeology, a real map plotting where he was, a timeline of his life, letters, and earliest manuscripts, how he's been portrayed on screen, and the full case — firsthand evidence, external attestation, and the honest critical challenge. Every one is graded.

The nine writers — click any name for its own page

#	Writer	Who he was	Grade
1	Matthew (Levi son of Alphaeus)	Apostle · tax collector · First Gospel	Mixed	open page →
2	Mark (John Mark)	Peter's interpreter · Second Gospel	Solid	open page →
3	Luke the Evangelist	Physician · Paul's companion · Luke-Acts	Solid	open page →
4	John the Apostle	Apostle · the beloved disciple · Gospel, epistles, Revelation	Mixed	open page →
5	Paul of Tarsus (the Apostle Paul)	Apostle to the Gentiles · 13 letters	Solid	open page →
6	Peter (Simon Peter)	Chief apostle · 1-2 Peter · source behind Mark	Mixed	open page →
7	James the Just (brother of Jesus)	Brother of Jesus · Jerusalem church · Epistle of James	Mixed	open page →
8	Jude (Judas), the Brother of James	Brother of Jesus & James · Epistle of Jude	Mixed	open page →
9	The Author of Hebrews (anonymous)	Anonymous · the honest unknown	Disputed	open page →

Solid Authorship well-supported by early external attestation + internal fit Mixed Strong tradition, but real critical dispute Disputed Anonymous or seriously contested

The tally, kept honest: 3 Solid, 5 Mixed, 1 Disputed.

The scorecard

Writer	Firsthand	Archaeology	External	Grade
Matthew (Levi son of Alphaeus)	6	6	6	Mixed
Mark (John Mark)	7	5	6	Solid
Luke the Evangelist	6	6	6	Solid
John the Apostle	8	6	6	Mixed
Paul of Tarsus (the Apostle Paul)	8	6	6	Solid
Peter (Simon Peter)	6	5	6	Mixed
James the Just (brother of Jesus)	8	4	6	Mixed
Jude (Judas), the Brother of James	7	4	6	Mixed
The Author of Hebrews (anonymous)	6	4	6	Disputed

The cumulative picture. Named authors, credited by a chain of early witnesses that begins within living memory (Papias, Clement, Irenaeus through Polycarp back to John), interlocking with an archaeological record that has repeatedly vindicated their precision — Luke's politarchs, John's five-portico pool, Paul's Gallio and Erastus inscriptions. Where the evidence is thin or the tradition contested — 2 Peter, the anonymous Hebrews — we say so plainly.

HOW WE VERIFY THE NT WRITERS · index · 9 authors, one page each · local-only