Abstract
In this magisterial treatment, Peter Arzt-Grabner brings alive the richness and complexity of life and social interactions in the ancient Mediterranean world through the medium of letter writing. It might seem a strange place to start, but some comment is first required about the final chapter of the book (chapter 8, pp. 207-427). In many ways this is the ‘engine room’ of the volume, for it presents the primary data on which all the observations in the first seven chapters are based. Here the English translations of well over a hundred ancient letters from the sixth century BCE to the fourth century CE are made available. The volume is worth purchasing simply for this stunning resource alone. However, the first seven chapters contain many insights that elucidate letter writing in antiquity in general, and the letters of the New Testament in particular.
The volume commences with an overview of papyrology and letter writing. This short chapter (pp. 1-6) provides a quick primer on the current state of papyrological studies, and the key points in the history of the discipline. The second chapter then focuses on a range of more specific issues, and how those factors compare with the letters that are contained in the New Testament collection. There are three areas surveyed. First, in terms of length and clarity, it is noted P.Ammon 1.3, ‘the longest private letter from Graeco-Roman times so far’ (p. 9), is comparable in length to Galatians. Second, it is noted that letter writing is undertaken by people with a range of literary abilities, from the immature writing off a child to works reflecting poetic language and emotional sophistication. Third, there is a consideration of the relationship and differences between ‘Private, Literary, and Official Letters’ (pp. 15-19). This chapter also presents the first of the ‘a closer look’ examples, where in this case, there is a comparison between ‘Paul of Tarsus and Other Emotional Letters’ (pp. 19-25). In chapter three, the volume moves to the more theoretical consideration of the taxonomy of ancient letters. Helpfully, there is a presentation of ancient classifications of letter types as well as modern approaches to classifying ancient letters (pp. 27-42).
At this juncture, the book turns to an analysis of some of the specific details of ancient letter composition. In chapter four there is an examination of those responsible for the production of letters. Here there is a consideration of the relationship between authors, scribes, and secretaries (pp. 43-50). The point is made that, ‘[w]hen it comes to letter writing, we often do not know who genuinely penned the actual letter, whether it was the letter author, a family member, an acquaintance, or a friend who stepped in because the author himself could not write, or simply did not want to, or whether a professional writer (i.e., a secretary) wrote the text in the papyrus or potsherd’ (p. 45). Apart from the final chapter containing the translations of various ancient letters, chapter five, ‘Letters, Sections, Formulas, Clichés,’ is the longest (pp. 67-187). There is a wealth of information in this chapter. What is particularly noteworthy are the three ‘a closer look’ examples. The first ‘Paul’s Complaint in Gal 1:6-7,’ (pp. 133-134), looks at letters that express displeasure and issue a rebuke. An example is P.Bad. 2.35 (16 Dec 87 CE), which is ‘a letter from a certain Ioanne who seems to be very annoyed with Epagathos. Immediately after the opening greeting, she reproaches him and writes: “I wonder why you have changed your faithfulness” (i.e., become faithless, line 6-7),’ (p. 134). The parallel with Paul’s exasperated sentiments is fully apparent. The second example looks at the denial of permissions in both 1 Tim 2.12 and 1 Cor 14.35 (pp. 157-158), and lastly comparisons with Paul’s comments concerning his handwriting (pp. 176-182). Then chapter six considers the ‘Transport and Reception of Letters’ (pp. 189-201). Of particular interest is the section dealing with appended letters and the phenomenon of multiple letters of a single papyrus (pp. 189-191). Then the volume briefly draws together some overarching conclusions that have emerged.
There are multiple aspects of this volume to praise, but two stand out. First, it successfully locates New Testament letters within the larger and illuminating world of ancient letter writing. The comparative data is handled with great care to ensure that meaningful observation are made. Second, the data in chapter eight enables further scholarship to develop from the close examination of the rich data contained in the letters that have survived from the ancient Mediterranean world. This is a certainly a book that will reward repeated and careful consultation.