Daily Gleanings (4 July 2019)

Reading time: < 1 minutes

Brice Jones discusses the probable (and problematic) recent offering for sale of P.Oxy. 83.5345 (a “first-century” Mark fragment).


Larry Hurtado discusses Darina Staudt’s, Der eine und einzige Gott: Monotheistische Formeln im Urchristentum und ihre Vorgeschichte bei Griechen und Juden (Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2012). According to Hurtado, the book is “particularly helpful, but has received a disappointing level of notice, even, it appears, in scholarly circles.”

For the balance of Hurtado’s review, see his original blog post.

Daily Gleanings (10 June 2019)

Reading time: < 1 minutes

Citing a typical description of early Christian scribal culture, Michael Kruger comments:

There are a lot of claims in this brief couple of sentences. Unfortunately, virtually every one of them is mistaken.

Kruger then proceeds to discuss three ways in which this early culture was comparatively more professional and competent than it is often described as being.

For the details of Kruger’s comments, see his original post.


On the eschatology of the Christian tradition’s major creeds, Jake Mailhot comments:

Though there are no charts or timelines in these creeds, they are profound. Christian hope is plain in Scripture, and it’s mirrored clearly in our creeds: Christ will come again to establish justice and peace forever.

For more, see LogosTalk.

Daily Gleanings: Thoughts from Larry Hurtado (31 May 2019)

Reading time: < 1 minutes

Larry Hurtado discusses early Christian investment in texts with helpful reference to the detailed work of Randolph Richards, Paul and First-Century Letter Writing: Secretaries, Composition and Collection (InterVarsity Press, 2004).


Larry Hurtado also discusses the nature of “extant evidence” and inferences based on it, specifically in terms of early Christian texts.

Currents in Biblical Research 11, no. 1

Reading time: < 1 minutes

The latest issue of Currents in Biblical Research includes:

  • Kristin De Troyer, “The Seventy-two and their Many Grandchildren: A Review of Septuagint Studies from 1997 Onward”
  • Nicholas Perrin and Christopher W. Skinner, “Recent Trends in Gospel of Thomas Research (1989–2011): Part II: Genre, Theology and Relationship to the Gospel of John”
  • Timo S. Paananen, “From Stalemate to Deadlock: Clement’s Letter to Theodore in Recent Scholarship”
  • Jonathan S. Milgram, “Then and Now: A Summary of Developments in the Field of Talmudic Literature through Contributions to the First and Second Editions of the Encyclopaedia Judaica