{"id":340680,"date":"2025-12-12T16:45:34","date_gmt":"2025-12-12T16:45:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/uncategorized\/studying-the-new-testament-through-inscriptions\/"},"modified":"2025-12-12T16:45:34","modified_gmt":"2025-12-12T16:45:34","slug":"studying-the-new-testament-through-inscriptions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=340680","title":{"rendered":"Studying The New Testament Through Inscriptions"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n<\/p>\n

\n

<\/p>\n

D. Clint Burnett<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Studying the New Testament Through Inscriptions<\/strong><\/em><\/span>
Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2020.
Available at Hendrickson<\/a> and Koorong<\/a>.<\/p>\n

During my PhD studies I read\u00a0Corpus inscriptionum judaicarum<\/em> compiled by Jean-Baptist Frey (abbrev.\u00a0CIJ<\/em>). It was a terrific resource that showcased nearly every extant ancient inscription about Jews and Judaism from antiquity and it was very useful for my study on the spread and propagation of Judaism in the Roman empire. Frey\u2019s collection is replaced now by\u00a0David Noy and Hanswulf Bloedhorn\u2019s newer multi-volume collection on\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Inscriptiones Judaicae Orientis<\/em> which documents inscriptions in Aramaic, Greek, Hebrew, Latin, Persian, Palmyrene, Parthian and Phoenician in locations such\u00a0Phoenicia, Syria, Osrhoene, Dura-Europos and Cyprus.<\/p>\n

Inscriptions provide a wealth of information for the study of ancient Judaism, Greco-Roman religion, and the emergence of early Christianity.<\/p>\n

So\u00a0Clint Burnett<\/a>\u2018s introduction to ancient inscriptions \u2013 largely for NT study \u2013 is most welcomed!<\/p>\n

Burnett\u2019s book introduces inscriptions and demonstrates the proper methodological use of them in the study of the New Testament. He highlights the largely unrecognized ability of inscriptions to shed light on early Christian history, practice, and the leadership structure of early Christian churches, as well as to solve certain New Testament exegetical impasses. His case studies include inscriptions about kyrios, banquets, loyalty oaths, gematria, and offices of benefactresses, deaconesses, and overseers in Philippi. For me, a clear highlight was the study of\u00a0kyrios\u00a0<\/em>and\u00a0mara\u00a0<\/em>in Herodian inscriptions in Palestine. The result is that the application of the title\u00a0kyrios\u00a0<\/em>to Jesus was probably not first done in a Hellenistic context outside of Judea, but it also means that it does not necessarily connote divinity, it was more of a royal messianic title than a divine one (see Acts 2:34-36). About Philippi and women, he concludes: \u201cGiven the roles that Philippian women possessed and the evidence from Acts and Philippians, it is probable that Lydia served as patroness of the nascent church and that Euodia and Syntyche were deacons and possibly overseers.\u201d<\/p>\n

The volume contains some great images of inscriptions and ends with a terrific list of written and on-line resources about ancient inscriptions.<\/p>\n

Necessary for any complete library on NT background!<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n