This book breaks a 200-year impasse on the origins of the gospels. Biblical scholars want to get to the roots of the gospels-the very earliest memories of Jesus and his world. Of course, we know about all the major concepts at work here-Q, the Urgospel, priority-but it seems like a definitive solution to the Synoptic problem is hopelessly unattainable. Why the impasse? And where do we go from here? In this book, the author guides us through the history of biblical scholars' quest for the authentic source. He reveals that outdated assumptions about ancient media realities have caused the past two centuries of academic deadlock. Using cutting-edge scholarship on orality, memory, and tradition formation, he shows how the origins of the gospels may be found in the memory practices of the earliest Jesus communities. This volume is an essential resource for scholars and students looking to better understand this complex and rapidly changing field.