The Harrowing of Hell

THE ANXIOUS BENCH: Holy Saturday and the Harrowing of Hell (Philip Jenkins). Cross-file under New Testament Apocrypha Watch.

To see just how mainstream these alternative texts were in the medieval churches, consider one image that pervades the religious art of the era, namely the Harrowing of Hell. Drawn from the popular Gospel of Nicodemus, the Harrowing was not far behind the Crucifixion as a theme in medieval Christian imagery, and its impact extended to art, drama and literature. An image fundamental to mainstream Christian belief for over a thousand years derived entirely from an ancient alternative gospel.

The passages in 1 Peter 3:18-21, 4:6 (cf. 2 Peter 2:4, Jude 6) partly inspire the Harrowing of Hell myth (a.k.a. the Descensus ad Infernos). They in turn arguably have connections with the myth of the fall and infernal banishment of the Watchers in 1 Enoch

We see from Jude 14-16 that first-century Jesus followers were reading 1 Enoch. Some even considered it prophecy. For more on that, see here and here.

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God's kisses

PUCKER UP: The Kiss - From Metaphor to Mysticism (Prof.Joel Hecker, TheTorah.com).

"Oh, let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth…" Song of Songs 1:2. Allegorical interpretation in midrash and the Zohar understand the male lover being beckoned as God, but whom is God kissing and why? And does kabbalistic interpretation leave any room for human love?

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Gordon et al., Beyond Priesthood (De Gruyter, Open Access)

OPEN-ACCESS BOOK FROM DE GRUYTER:

Beyond Priesthood
Religious Entrepreneurs and Innovators in the Roman Empire

Contributor(s)
Gordon, Richard L. (editor)
Petridou, Georgia (editor)
Rüpke, Jörg (editor)

(History of Religion: Essays and Preliminary Studies) brings together the mutually constitutive aspects of the study of religion(s)—contextualized data, theory, and disciplinary positioning—and engages them from a critical historical perspective. The series publishes monographs and thematically focused edited volumes on specific topics and cases as well as comparative work across historical periods from the ancient world to the modern era.

Publisher
De Gruyter
Publisher website
https://www.degruyter.com/
Publication date and place
2017

Follow the link for licensing info and access.

HT the AWOL Blog. (This is a good list.)

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Review of Ward, The rise of the early Christian intellectual

BRYN MAYR CLASSICAL REVIEW: The rise of the early Christian intellectual.

Lewis Ayres, H. Clifton Ward, The rise of the early Christian intellectual. Arbeiten zur Kirchengeschichte, 139. Berlin; Boston: De Gruyter, 2020. Pp. xii, 272. ISBN 9783110607550 $99.99.

Review by
Andrew Pottenger. ajpott@hotmail.com

... The value of the present volume in light of these other studies is that each chapter offers a concentrated analysis of early Christian intellectual activity in the ‘long second century’, showing how the ancient authors explored here engaged pagan and Jewish paradigms from the perspective of sharing in these traditions to some extent. ...

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Gorgias Series: Perspectives on Linguistics and Ancient Languages

THE HUGOYE LIST:

Invitation for submission to Perspectives on Linguistics and Ancient Languages

Dear all,

It is my pleasure to announce you that the Gorgias Series Perspectives on Linguistics and Ancient Languages is ready to accept new submission. This series once started as the POSL series (Perspectives on Syriac Lexicograpy), but because of its interdisciplinary focus and the efforts to bring Syriac lexicography and linguistics into dialogue with other scholarly traditions focusing on Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek linguistics, the title of the series was changed to do justice to this broader field of interst. Currently it includes monographs about Neologisms in Modern Literary Syriac, handwritten documents with multilingual and multigraphic structures in Arabic, Hebrew, Latin and Greek, Classical Syriac phonology, Christian Palestinian Aramaic and genitive structures in Aramaic, just to mention a few topics, in addition to highly interesting colloquia volumes including papers presented at the International Syriac Language Project (ISLP), a research group that convenes at international conferences such as SBL and IOSOT. For a full list of the volumes see https://www.gorgiaspress.com/perspectives-on-linguistics-and-ancient-languages

If you are interested in submitting a manuscript to this series, please contact me, the series editor.

The other members of the editorial board are: Terry Falla, Margherita Farina, Daniel King, Godwin Mushayabasa and Richard Taylor.

Kind regards,

Wido van Peursen

Prof. dr. W.T. (Wido) van Peursen
Faculty of Theology, VU University Amsterdam
De Boelelaan 1105, 1081 HV Amsterdam
Tel. +31 (0)20 59 83427; email: w.t.van.peursen@vu.nl
Twitter: @PeursenWTvan; Skype: peursenwtvan

Eep Talstra Centre for Bible and Computer
https://www.facebook.com/etcbc
https://twitter.com/shebanq_
https://www.linkedin.com/company/etcbc

Re-posted with the permission of the author. Cross-file under Syriac Watch, Aramaic Watch, and Philology

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Kelly, Prophets, Prophecy, and Oracles in the Roman Empire (Routledge)

NEW IN PAPERBACK FROM ROUTLEDGE:

Prophets, Prophecy, and Oracles in the Roman Empire
Jewish, Christian, and Greco-Roman Cultures

By Leslie Kelly

Copyright Year 2018
Paperback
£13.59

Hardback
£35.99

eBook
£13.59

ISBN 9780367607289
Published August 14, 2020 by Routledge
100 Pages

Book Description

This book surveys the uses and function of prophecy, prophets, and oracles among Jews, Christians, and pagans in the first three centuries of the Roman Empire and explores how prophecy and prophetic texts functioned as a common language that enabled religious discourse to develop between these groups. It shows that each of these cultures believed that it was in prophetic texts and prophetic utterances that they could find the surest proof of their religious beliefs and a strong confirmation of their group identity.

The book was published in 2018, but I missed it then. The paperback release is a good excuse to note it now.

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Movie Moses

CINEMA: For Passover: Fourteen Video Clips Of Moses From Different Movies (Jeff Dunetz, The Lid, reprinted at the Jewish Press).

I have collected some related PaleoJudaica posts here (cf. here).

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Biblical Studies Carnival #181

THE AMATEUR EXEGETE: Biblical Studies Carnival #181 (March 2021).

Surprisingly, this post has no reference to the two new books arguing for the authenticity of the Shapira Scroll and the attendant media and blog coverage (see here and here and links). This was one of the two biggiest biblical studies stories in March.

Ben, perhaps an addendum is in order?

The other biggest story in March, the discovery of new Dead Sea Scroll fragments in the Cave of Horror, is mentioned briefly in one link.

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8 facts about the Flavian dynasty

THE COLLECTOR: Who Were the Flavian Emperors? (8 Facts). The Flavian Emperors ruled Rome for only 27 years, but the impact of their brief dynasty stretched far beyond their reign (Susan Masten). HT Rogue Classicism.

During the First Jewish Revolt (Great Revolt), Vespasian and Titus conquered and destroyed Jerusalem. Vesuvius erupted in the reign of Titus. Also, not mentioned in the article, The Flavians were patrons of the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus. If not for their patronage, we probably wouldn't have his works. Our knowledge of first-century Judaism would be much poorer.

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JQR Winter 2021

H-JUDAIC: ToC: Jewish Quarterly Review Winter 2021. Most of the articles deal with relatively modern matters. But there is an article by Reuven Kiperwasser on Solomon and Ashmedai in the Babylonian Talmud and an article by Miriam Goldstein on the Toledot Yeshu in Judeo-Arabic.

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Professional pilgrim graffiti in Church of the Holy Sepulcher?

TECHNOLOGY WATCH: 3D imaging sheds light on Holy Sepulchre 'graffiti' (Reuters). Video essay with transcription.

Imaging technology indicates that the "graffiti" (inscribed crosses) was executed by professional masons, presumably hired by medieval pilgrims.

For many PaleoJudaica posts on the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Holy Sepulcher), start here and just follow those links.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

The Holy Sepulcher: quarry, temple, churches

BIBLE HISTORY DAILY: Investigating the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. 5 transformations of the site of the Holy Sepulchre (Megan Souter).

In his article “The Holy Sepulchre in History, Archaeology, and Tradition,” published in the Spring 2021 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review, Justin L. Kelley examines recent archaeological investigations at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. He also walks readers through the relevant texts to reconstruct the site’s rich history. From execution spot to magnificent church, it has gone through quite the transformation! For Bible History Daily readers, we have highlighted five major phases of its history.

For many PaleoJudaica posts on the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Holy Sepulcher), see here and links.

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Stahl, The “God of Israel” in History and Tradition (Brill)

NEW BOOK FROM BRILL:

The “God of Israel” in History and Tradition

Series: Vetus Testamentum, Supplements, Volume: 187

Author: Michael J. Stahl

In The “God of Israel” in History and Tradition, Michael Stahl provides a foundational study of the formulaic title “god of Israel” ( ’elohe yisra’el) in the Hebrew Bible. Employing critical theory on social power and identity, and through close literary and historical analysis, Dr. Stahl shows how the epithet “god of Israel” evolved to serve different social and political agendas throughout the course of ancient Israel and Judah’s histories. Reaching beyond the field of Biblical Studies, Dr. Stahl’s treatment of the historical and ideological significances of the title “god of Israel” in the Hebrew Bible offers a fruitful case study into the larger issue of the ways in which religion may shape—and be shaped by—social and political structures.

Prices from (excl. VAT): €121.00 / $146.00

E-Book (PDF)
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-44772-1
Publication Date: 22 Mar 2021

Hardback
Availability: Not Yet Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-44771-4
Publication Date: 19 May 2021

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Chauchot, John the Baptist as a Rewritten Figure in Luke-Acts (Routledge)

NEW BOOK FROM ROUTLEDGE:

John the Baptist as a Rewritten Figure in Luke-Acts

By Christina Michelsen Chauchot

Copyright Year 2021

Hardback
£120.00

eBook
£33.29

ISBN 9780367481438
Published March 15, 2021 by Routledge
196 Pages

Book Description

John the Baptist as a Rewritten Figure in Luke-Acts compares the Gospel of Luke’s account of John’s ministry with those of Matthew, Mark, and John to make the case for the hypertextual relationship between the synoptic gospels.

The book is divided into three parts. Part I situates the Gospel of Luke within the broader context of biblical rewritings and makes the general case that a rewriting strategy can be detected in Luke, while Parts II and III combined offer a more detailed and specific argument for Luke’s refiguring of the public ministry of John the Baptist through the use of omitted, new, adapted, and reserved material. While the "two source hypothesis" typically presupposes the independence of Luke and Matthew in their rewritings of Mark and Q, Chauchot argues that Luke was heavily reliant on Matthew as suggested by the "L/M hypothesis". Approaching the Baptist figure in the synoptic gospels from a literary-critical perspective, Chauchot examines "test cases" of detailed comparative analysis between them to argue that the Gospel of Luke makes thematic changes upon John the Baptist and is best characterized as a highly creative reshaping of Matthew and Mark.

Making a contribution to current research in the field of New Testament exegesis, the book is key reading for students, scholars, and clergy interested in New Testament hermeneutics and Gospel writing.

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BHD Passover and Last Supper essays

FOR PASSOVER, Bible History Daily is re-publishing some related essays. I have already noted most of them a couple of years ago in this post. They have also re-posted an essay by Jonathan Klawans on the Last Supper and Passover, which I have already noted here. All the links in the above are stil good.

They have also re-posted another essay by Professor Klawans which I somehow missed: Jesus’ Last Supper Still Wasn’t a Passover Seder Meal. An update to Jonathan Klawans’s Bible Review article “Was Jesus’ Last Supper a Seder?”

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On the provenance and authenticity of the Sappho papyri

VARIANT READINGS: The Retraction of Dirk Obbink’s Sappho Chapter and the Question of Authenticity. Brent Nongbri brings us up to date on the retraction by Brill. He also raises some questions about the authenticity of the papyri.

To summarize, then, we have:

• Papyrus fragments with sensational and much-desired content
• Faked provenance stories for these fragments
• Seemingly false claims about scientific testing of these fragments
• No access to the main fragment for examination
• Early doubts about the quality of the poetry copied on these fragments
• Surprisingly cavalier treatment of supposedly highly valuable unique ancient papyri

Given all this, is it really accurate to say that there is no “evidence to suggest that either P.GC inv. 105 or P.Sapph.Obbink is not authentic”? It might be better to say that most (perhaps all?) competent scholars regard these fragments as authentic even in the face of many suspicious circumstances surrounding these papyri.

Let me reiterate. I can’t pass judgement on the authenticity of these papyri. If these fragments are fakes, they are some of the best I’ve ever seen. But then again, I haven’t actually seen them. And other than Prof. Obbink, who has?

I have no view on this matter myself. I do agree that scholars need to have access to the papyri.

Background on the Sappho papyri and on the complicated Oxford missing-papyri scandal is here and links. Ariel Sabar published the definitive account of the scandal in May of 2020. Brent Nongbri has contined to follow developments.

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Perspectives on Preexistence in Early Judaism and Early Christianity (German, Mohr Siebeck)

NEW BOOK FROM MOHR SIEBECK: Perspektiven zur Präexistenz im Frühjudentum und frühen Christentum. Herausgegeben von Jörg Frey, Friederike Kunath und Jens Schröter unter Mitwirkung von Ruben A. Bühner. [Perspectives on Preexistence in Early Judaism and Early Christianity.] 2021. X, 421 pages. Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament 457. 154,00 € including VAT. cloth ISBN 978-3-16-159976-7.

Published in German.
The notion of the preexistence of Christ has often been considered as a problematic mythological idea and marginalized in Biblical scholarship. The contributions of the present volume aim at a new perception of the variety of linguistic forms, semantic horizons, and textual intentions of the relevant texts. The phenomenon is deliberately considered in a wide horizon beyond the New Testament canon. The range of texts includes early Jewish texts on Wisdom and the Messiah; Paul, Hebrews, and Jude, the Gospel of John and Revelation; but also Greek mythological texts, Christian Gnostic traditions, and the Logos theology of the early church. Systematic-theological considerations on temporality and cosmology conclude the volume.

The articles are in German and English.

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Berenike meets the Mail

EXCAVATION ILLUSTRATED: Volcanic eruption sparked a severe drought in an ancient Egyptian port city some 2,100 years ago that forced residents to abandon their homes in search of water, study finds (Dan Avery, Daily Mail).

I have posted on the excavation of the Ptolemaic-era Egyptian fortress-port Berenike (Berenike Trogodytika) here and here. See those posts for background and some points of interest.

Now the Mail has noticed the story and produced a thorough and characteristically well-illustrated article on the site.

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Why did Joshua have to circumcise the Israelites?

DR. RABBI DAVID FRANKEL: Why Didn’t the Israelites Circumcise in the Wilderness? (TheTorah.com).

Joshua circumcises the Israelites only upon their entry to the land.

Interesting redaction-critical argument.

Regarding the final point in the essay, I think that Deuteronomy's concern with circumcision of the heart only make sense if the author assumes that male Israelites were circumcised in the body. The metaphor also appears in P (Lev 26:41) but it is rare in both D and P.

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Rasmussen's Easter photo-posts

AT THE HOLY LAND PHOTOS' BLOG, Carl Rasmussen has been re-posting some Easter-related posts which are also of interest for first-century Judaism. I have linked to them all in past years, but here they are again with his new URLs. If I have commented substantively in a PaleoJudaica post, I link to that as well.

If Carl re-posts any more of these this week, I will add the links below in this post.

The Tomb of the High Priest Annas? Part 1 of 2 — The Exterior
Related PaleoJudaica post here.

The Tomb of the High Priest Annas? Part 2 of 2 — The Interior

Bone Box of Caiaphas the High Priest
Related PaleoJudaica post here.

Crucified Man from Jerusalem
Related PaleoJudaica post here.

A Monumental Herodian (Hasmonean?) Hall in Jerusalem — Behind the Scenes of the Western Wall.

The Best Rolling Stone Tomb in Israel — Khirbet Midras

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Big crack and boxed coin

NUMISMATICS: Coin from 2nd Temple Mount era found during Tower of David conservation. Tyrian shekels are often mentioned in historical accounts from the Second Temple Period, but a very few have actually been found (Tobias Siegal, Jerusalem Post).

The ancient Phasael Tower in the Tower of David complex in Jerusalem has a big crack in it, which poses a danger to the whole tower. It is under repair. The coin was found there in a misplace box of artifacts excavated during the last conservation in the 1980s. Oops.

Some PaleoJudaica posts on the Tyrian shekel are here, here, and here. It was especially associated (in its full and half value denominations) with payments to the Temple, including the Temple tax.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

Shapira in the NYT archive

DIGGING UP DETAILS: A Biblical Mystery and a Reporting Odyssey. A question about pieces of a manuscript found in 1883 that may or may not be authentic led me into The Times’s archive (Jennifer Schuessler, NYT).

But I also became intrigued by another layer of the tale. As it turned out, the mysterious Shapira had made a number of fleeting appearances in The Times over the years, starting even before the Deuteronomy affair.

For PaleoJudaica posts on the Shapira Scroll and the recent revival of interest in the scroll and the whole Shapira affair, start here and follow the links.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

Representations of Angelic Beings in Early Jewish and in Christian Traditions (ed. Tefera & Stuckenbruck) (Mohr Siebeck)

NEW BOOK FROM MOHR SIEBECK: Representations of Angelic Beings in Early Jewish and in Christian Traditions. Edited by Amsalu Tefera and Loren T. Stuckenbruck. 2021. XII, 246 pages. Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament 2. Reihe 544. 79,00 € including VAT. sewn paper ISBN 978-3-16-159760-2.

Published in English.
Angelic beings have occupied an important place in many traditions within Judaism and Christianity from Second Temple times up until the present. In this volume, essays by scholars from the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and North America draw attention to a wide variety of ways in which traditions about angels were addressed and developed over time, including examples from the Hebrew Bible, the Dead Sea Scrolls and related literature, early Christian writings, »magical« texts, and the rich heritage of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. The contributions as a whole demonstrate the interwovenness of Jewish and Christian tradition and, in turn, reveal how much the consideration of angelology reflects broader hermeneutical, textual, and tradition-historical approaches to the study of religion.

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Crawford & Zola (eds.), The Gospel of Tatian (T&T Clark)

NEW BOOK FROM BLOOMSBURY/T&T CLARK:

The Gospel of Tatian
Exploring the Nature and Text of the Diatessaron

Editor(s): Matthew R. Crawford, Nicholas J. Zola
Published: 03-25-2021
Format: Paperback
Edition: 1st
Extent: 300
ISBN: 9780567700346
Imprint: T&T Clark
Series: The Reception of Jesus in the First Three Centuries
Illustrations: 2 plates
Dimensions: 6 1/8" x 9 1/4"
List price: $39.95
Online price: $35.96

About The Gospel of Tatian

This volume combines some of the leading voices on the composition and collection of early Christian gospels in order to analyze Tatian's Diatessaron. The rapid rise and sudden suppression of the Diatessaron has raised numerous questions about the nature and intent of this second-century composition. It has been claimed as both a vindication of the fourfold gospel's early canonical status and as an argument for the canon's on-going fluidity; it has been touted as both a premiere witness to the earliest recoverable gospel text and as an early corrupting influence on that text. Collectively, these essays provide the greatest advance in Diatessaronic scholarship in a quarter of a century.

The contributors explore numerous questions: did Tatian intend to supplement or supplant the fourfold gospel? How many were his sources and how free was he with their text? How do we identify a Diatessaronic witness? Is it legitimate to use Tatian's Diatessaron as a source in New Testament textual criticism? Is a reconstruction of the Diatessaron still possible? These queries in turn contribute to the question of what the Diatessaron signifies with respect to the broader context of gospel writing, and what this can tell us about how the writing, rewriting and reception of gospel material functioned in the first and second centuries and beyond.

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Zervos, The Protevangelium of James (T&T Clark)

NEW BOOK FROM BLOOMSBURY/T&T CLARK:

The Protevangelium of James
Greek Text, English Translation, Critical Introduction: Volume 1

By: George T. Zervos
Published: 04-22-2021
Format: Paperback
Edition: 1st
Extent: 240
ISBN: 9780567700384
Imprint: T&T Clark
Series: Jewish and Christian Texts
Illustrations: 4 bw Illus
Dimensions: 6 1/8" x 9 1/4"
List price: $39.95
Online price: $35.96

About The Protevangelium of James

George T. Zervos presents the first in a two-volume critical investigation of one of the earliest and most important of the New Testament Apocrypha, the Protevangelium of James, also known as the Infancy Gospel of James. Zervos challenges the prevailing view that the ProtJas is a 2nd century unitary document; finding it instead to be the product of an ongoing redactional process in which a 1st century CE “heretical” text was progressively conformed to the “orthodox” Christian doctrine of the time.

Zervos tells the story of how an early apocryphal gospel provided the developing church with doctrinal material, which was incorporated into both the theology and the ecclesiastical liturgical cycle of the medieval Church, thus becoming a significant part of the standard catechism for generations of Christians. In this first volume Zervos provides a critical introduction to the text and discusses ProtJas' publication history, scholarly investigation, compositional problems and evidence of redaction, as well as a in-depth analysis of the narrative. For the first time the readings of the vast majority of the known Greek manuscripts appear together, with a transcription of the original text of the complete copy of the ProtJas found in Papyrus Bodmer V.

The Protevangelium of James has been getting some attention in recent years. See here, here, here, here, and here. Cross-file under New Testament Apocrypha Watch.

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Heath, The Bible, Homer, and the Search for Meaning in Ancient Myths (Routledge)

RECENT BOOK FROM ROUTLEDGE:

The Bible, Homer, and the Search for Meaning in Ancient Myths Why We Would Be Better Off With Homer’s Gods

By John Heath

Copyright Year 2019
Paperback
£36.99

ISBN 9780367729929
Published December 18, 2020 by Routledge
430 Pages

Book Description

The Bible, Homer, and the Search for Meaning in Ancient Myths explores and compares the most influential sets of divine myths in Western culture: the Homeric pantheon and Yahweh, the God of the Old Testament. Heath argues that not only does the God of the Old Testament bear a striking resemblance to the Olympians, but also that the Homeric system rejected by the Judeo-Christian tradition offers a better model for the human condition. The universe depicted by Homer and populated by his gods is one that creates a unique and powerful responsibility – almost directly counter to that evoked by the Bible—for humans to discover ethical norms, accept death as a necessary human limit, develop compassion to mitigate a tragic existence, appreciate frankly both the glory and dangers of sex, and embrace and respond courageously to an indifferent universe that was clearly not designed for human dominion.

Heath builds on recent work in biblical and classical studies to examine the contemporary value of mythical deities. Judeo-Christian theologians over the millennia have tried to explain away Yahweh’s Olympian nature while dismissing the Homeric deities for the same reason Greek philosophers abandoned them: they don’t live up to preconceptions of what a deity should be. In particular, the Homeric gods are disappointingly plural, anthropomorphic, and amoral (at best). But Heath argues that Homer’s polytheistic apparatus challenges us to live meaningfully without any help from the divine. In other words, to live well in Homer’s tragic world – an insight gleaned by Achilles, the hero of the Iliad – one must live as if there were no gods at all.

The Bible, Homer, and the Search for Meaning in Ancient Myths should change the conversation academics in classics, biblical studies, theology and philosophy have – especially between disciplines – about the gods of early Greek epic, while reframing on a more popular level the discussion of the role of ancient myth in shaping a thoughtful life.

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Mihálykó, The Christian Liturgical Papyri: An Introduction (Mohr Siebeck)

RECENT BOOK FROM MOHR SIEBECK: Ágnes T. Mihálykó. The Christian Liturgical Papyri: An Introduction. 2019. XV, 451 pages. Studien und Texte zu Antike und Christentum / Studies and Texts in Antiquity and Christianity 114. 89,00 € including VAT. sewn paper ISBN 978-3-16-155786-6.

Published in English.
Liturgical papyri are prime witnesses to the history of liturgy and the religious and theological currents in late antique Egypt. These items from the third to ninth century preserve hundreds of Greek and Coptic hymns, prayers, and acclamations, most otherwise unknown but some still recited by the Coptic Church. Ágnes T. Mihálykó offers the first extensive introduction to the liturgical papyri, facilitating the reader's access to them with a detailed inventory of edited manuscripts and an extensive discussion of their date and provenance. She also examines liturgical papyri as the first preserved liturgical manuscripts, describing their material features, the ways they were used, the early history of the liturgical books, and their languages. She reveals how liturgical texts were written down and transmitted and locates these important manuscripts in the book culture of late antique Egypt.

Cross-file under Coptic Watch.

You can learn more about Dr. Mihálykó's work in a podcast interview with the Coptic Magical Papyri Project.

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