The award was established in 1923 following the decision of Professor Francis Crawford Burkitt (1864–1935), elected a Fellow of the Academy in 1905, to strike a number of bronze medals for presentation by the Academy to scholars of Biblical Studies. After his death in 1935 the awards became known as Burkitt Medals. The Medal was first awarded in 1925.
Eligibility
In 2020 eligible nominations must be for special service to New Testament Studies.
In 2121 eligible nominations must be for special service to Hebrew Bible studies.
2019 winner
Professor John J. Collins for his contribution to Old Testament Studies and Second Temple Judaism.
John J. Collins is Holmes Professor of Old Testament at Yale Divinity School. His most recent books are The Invention of Judaism. Torah and Jewish Identity from Deuteronomy to Paul (University of California, 2017); The Dead Sea Scrolls. A Biography (paperback ed.; Princeton, 2019), and What Are Biblical Values? (Yale, 2019).
He is co-editor of the Eerdmans Dictionary of Early Judaism and the Oxford Handbook of the Dead Sea Scrolls. He is general editor of the Anchor Yale Bible and Anchor Yale Bible Reference Library. He holds honorary doctorates from University College Dublin, and the University of Zurich.
"I am deeply honored to be associated with the long line of Burkitt Medal recipients, from R. H. Charles to Christopher Rowland, and grateful to my friends in the British Academy who thought to nominate me."
- Professor John J. Collins, August 2019
Previous winners
2018 Professor Christopher Rowland, University of Oxford
2017 Professor Takamitsu Muraoka, University of Leiden
2016 Professor Dr Dr h.c. Barbara Aland, University of Münster
2015 Professor David J A Clines, University of Sheffield
2014 Professor N Thomas Wright, University of St Andrews
2013 Professor Ronald Ernest Clements DD, King's College London
2012 Professor Christopher Tuckett, University of Oxford
2011 Professor Andrew Mayes, formerly Erasmus Smith Professor of Hebrew, Trinity College, Dublin
2010 Professor Ulrich Luz, Emeritus Professor of New Testament Studies, University of Bern
2009 Revd Professor Ernest Nicholson FBA, formerly Provost of Oriel College, Oxford
2008 Professor Richard Bauckham FBA, FRSE, Professor of New Testament Studies and Bishop Wardlaw Professor, University of St Andrews
2007 Professor Jan Alberto Soggin
2006 Professor Graham Stanton
2005 Revd Professor Pierre-Maurice Bogaert, OSB
2004 Professor Morna D Hooker
2003 Professor Bertil Albrektson
2002 Professor Gerd Theissen
2001 Professor Rudolf Smend FBA