Those 53 verified people in the Hebrew Bible again

EPIGRAPHY AND THE BIBLE: Researcher gives seal of approval to 53 biblical characters’ existence. Lawrence Mykytiuk looks for ancient personalities who have made an impression — be it on a signet ring or a monument (Rich Tenorio, Times of Israel). An interview with Dr. Mykytiuk, whose project is familiar to regular readers of PaleoJudaica. (See here and links. But this article also has some information about his new project:

Mykytiuk is continuing with his verifications — this time, involving the New Testament).

He said that after his first 50 Old Testament verifications, Shanks told him, “We can finish the New Testament, too.” (Shanks declined to comment for this story.)

Mykytiuk described this as “a challenge. I’m a Hebrew Bible guy. I would go on a New Testament study. It’s a very different ballgame, with Greek and Latin inscriptions and coins that you don’t deal with in Old Testament, Hebrew Bible studies.”

His next article will include verifications of 23 New Testament political figures. He expects to publish it in the September/October issue of Biblical Archaeology Review. Unlike his Old Testament verifications, the New Testament ones will include both men and women.

Regarding the last point, the 53 verified names from the Hebrew Bible are only of men.

The new project will have its own set of challenges. Will it be limited to mentions in inscriptions or will mentions in Philo, Josephus, and Roman writers count too? For some thematically related posts, see here and links.

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