This book was brought together by scholars working in the fields of papyrology, epigraphy, New Testament studies, and early Christianity. It is written in recognition of Peter Arzt-Grabner and his scholarship. As such all contributions are based on papyri, including documentary and biblical papyri, and other documentary material, including inscriptions and coins. The aim of this volume is to shed new papyrological light on the New Testament, early Christianity, and their contexts. It is subdivided into five sections.
(I) Following the tradition of papyrological publications, the first section is on Biblical Papyri. In his contribution “P88 – Beobachtungen zum Textcharakter eines frühen Zeugen”, Holger Strutwolf examines the possibility of determining the textual character and transcription behaviour of small and fragmented manuscripts. He analyses the text of the Gospel of Mark preserved on Papyrus 88, giving particular attention to singular readings. With the help of the Coherence Based Genealogical Method (CBGM) he investigates the textual history of this fragmentary manuscript and describes its text-historical location in the context of the wider textual attestation.
(II) The second section on Documentary Papyri, the Gospels, and Acts comprises four contributions. Michael P. Theophilos writes on “The Infancy Narratives of Matthew and Luke in Light of Graeco-Roman Birth Notices, Registrations, and other Related Material”. He explores the context, nature, expectations and features of relaying news or accounts of birth in Roman antiquity. Then, in turn, he applies these insights to gain a better understanding of the contemporary historical, social, and linguistic context of the infancy narratives of Matthew and Luke. Particular attention is given to the social setting, specificity of included detail type and modified function of birth stories.
In his contribution entitled “Mark 3 and the ‘family’ of Jesus”, Joel Weaver focusses on Mark 3:21 and the use of
Christina M. Kreinecker focuses on Lukan special material in the Passion Narrative. Her contribution “Von Pontius zu Pilatus. Papyrologische Anmerkungen zur Überstellung Jesu in Lk 23,1–12” investigates the “transferal” of Jesus between Pontius Pilate and Herod Antipas in the Graeco-Roman administrative context. Based on the technical usage of
The section concludes with James R. Harrison’s contribution on “Prophecy, Divination, and Oneirology in the Greek Magical Papyri: Situating Joel’s Prophecy (Acts 2:16–21) in Its Graeco-Roman Revelatory Context”. He explores the Graeco-Roman context of the Spirit-inspired revelatory phenomena associated with the Lukan Pentecost outpouring, as confirmed in the citation of Joel’s prophecy in Acts 2:17–21 (LXX Joel 2:28–32). He notices a striking difference between the usage in Greek magical papyri and the book of Acts and discusses potential reasons for this.
(III) The third section on Documentary Papyri and Pauline Epistles consists of three contributions. In her chapter, “Zwei von gleicher Seelengröße. Phil 2,19–24 im Kontext antiker Empfehlungsbriefe”, Angela Standhartinger focuses on the ancient genre of letters of recommendation which deepen the relationship between sender and addressee. She proposes that the genre helps to understand why Paul introduces Timothy enthusiastically to the Philippians in Phil 2:19–24. She argues that Paul characterises Timothy’s extraordinary efforts for the community as a mirror of his own longing.
Death and post-mortem existence are the topic of the contribution “Hope for the Hopeless (1 Thess 4:13): Imagining Death in the Papyri” by Richard S. Ascough and Christina Gousopoulos. They argue that Demotic funerary ritual texts and the role of water mentioned in them can shed light on Paul’s urging the Thessalonians to not be like those without hope (1 Thess 4:13) and the enigmatic practice of baptism on behalf of the dead in 1 Cor 15:29.
The section concludes with Alan Cadwallader’s contribution entitled “Value-adding a slave, or, how much is an Onesimos worth?”, in which he focuses on the textile industry. He compares references to apprentices in literary and epigraphical sources in the east with references found in Egypt. By focussing on the training of a slave in weaving apprenticeship contracts he discusses the increase in value of that slave. Applying this observation to the letter to Philemon, he suggests an increased value of Onesimus, trained by Paul as a brother in the faith, when returning to his master.
(IV) The fourth section on Documentary Papyri, Associations and Christ Groups contains two contributions. In his contribution “P.Mich. 8.511: Recruitment to a klinē of Sarapis”, John S. Kloppenborg revisits P.Mich. 8.511 which provides unique insights into recruitment to a cultic association in the second century. He discusses aspects of cultic ecology, including the mutual gains from the recruitment. The new recruit, Ptolemaios, both incurred costs of membership but also enjoyed benefits. In return, the Sarapiastai gained both a competent administrator and access to the recruit’s network of associates and the social capital that those connections conferred.
L. L. Welborn’s contribution is entitled “Household Cults as Proximate Analogues for Pauline Christ Groups”. He argues that the household ekklēsiai of Christ believers at Corinth find their closest analogues in Greek and Roman cultic associations which consisted of family members and others within the family network, and which usually assembled in the houses of their founders and patrons. He then discusses the implications of this analogy for an understanding of the conflicts between Christ believers as evident in Paul’s correspondence with Corinth.
(V) The fifth and final section is a Papyrus Edition. As a special feature in this volume, it presents the editio princeps of an unpublished document from the Austrian National Library which holds the second largest papyrus collection in the world. Entitled “Georgios Addresses His ‘God-Protected’ Master: A New Late Antique Letter About Selling Agricultural Products” Aikaterini Koroli and Amphilochios Papathomas present the text of a private letter with a Christian background from the sixth or seventh century, dealing with the sale of agricultural products.