The earliest Christian artifacts : manuscripts and Christian origins / Larry W. Hurtado.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Hurtado, Larry W., 1943-2019.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Christian literature, Early--Manuscripts.

Christian literature, Early.

Christianity--Origin.

Christianity.

Physical Description:

xiv, 248 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

Grand Rapids, Mich. : William B. Eerdmans Pub. Co., 2006.

Summary:

Much attention has been paid to the words of the earliest Christian canonical and extracanonical texts, yet Larry Hurtado points out that an even more telling story is being overlooked - the story of the physical texts themselves.

Widely recognized for his outstanding scholarship, Hurtado combines his comprehensive knowledge of Christian origins with an archivist's eye to make sense of these earliest objects of the faith. He introduces readers to the staurogram, possibly the first representation of the cross, the nomina sacra, a textual abbreviation system, and the puzzling Christian preference for book-like texts over scrolls.

Drawing on studies by papyrologists and paleographers as well as New Testament scholars - and including photographic plates of selected manuscripts - The Earliest Christian Artifacts astutely examines the distinctive physical features of early Christian manuscripts, illustrating their relevance for wider inquiry into the complex origins of Christianity.

Contents:

The texts

The early Christian preference for the codex

The nomina sacra

The staurogram

Other scribal features.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 193-208) and indexes.

ISBN:

0802828957

9780802828958

OCLC:

70668672