By the time Alexandre Pintard came to write his description of Chartres Cathedral (c. 1700) the lower half of this window was already missing. Thus when Coffetier interpolated fifteen new panels as part of his 1872 restoration, the scenes he created were based on pure speculation. Several of the surviving original panels are now in the wrong positions, including some which would naturally have fitted into the early stages of the story. Presumably then, the window had suffered general deterioration or damage during its lifetime until, at some time prior to the 18th century, an unknown restorer discarded half of the panels, consolidating the rest rather haphazardly in the upper half of the frame.
Yves Delaporte identified a major source for the stories of St Andrew depicted here as the "History of the Apostolic Contest" by Pseudo-Abdias - an unknown hagiographer/compiler who purported to be Abdias (Obadiah), first Bishop of Babylon - but who was probably French and who wrote no earlier than the late 6th century.