The so-called Beloved Disciple — “the disciple whom Jesus loved” — if he’s so important, why is he anonymous? It’s a mystery. And a riddle. 

Pondering the complexity of the “Johannine problem” led The Revd Dr Steven Daly to investigate the third of four inter-related riddles: Who is this Beloved Disciple? What does that identifying clause—“the disciple whom Jesus loved”—actually mean? Why present your star eyewitness anonymously? And, fourthly, what exactly is his relationship to the text itself?

By focusing on solving one riddle, the third, the riddle of anonymity, Steven believes he’s solved all four. Has he found the solution to a 2000-year-old mystery? You be the judge. 

“This book presents a critical engagement with previous literature that shows an admirable independence of thought. The conclusion concerning the identity of the Beloved Disciple (John Zebedee) is not novel. However, the approach taken—adapting earlier work on anonymity and sequential reading—leads to a highly original and convincing conclusion.”
Professor Peter G Bolt
Australian University College of Divinity
Director, Centre for Gospels and Acts Research
Editor, Journal of Gospel and Acts Research

Title: The Anonymous Witness | Solving the Riddle of the Beloved Disciple’s Anonymity in the Fourth Gospel
Author: E J Daly
ISBN: 9781922441232
Publisher: Broughton Publishing
Date: 2026