Abstract
This book is the fifth volume in the series, “Early Christian Apocrypha” by Polebridge Press. Previous volumes have presented accessible, well edited editions of The Acts of Andrew, The Epistle of the Apostles, The Acts of Thomas, and The Acts of Peter. In this reviewer's estimation, it is worthwhile to position the present book in relation to scholarship on the Didache. Doing so will indicate the distinctive features and utility of Jefford's latest venture in Didache studies.
The manual of church life known as the Didache or Teaching (of the Lord through the Twelve Apostles to the Nations) was discovered in a Greek monastery in 1873, though the manuscript itself is dated to 1056. Estimates of the date of the material within the document range from mid-second century to mid-first century. The latter view is particularly argued by Aaron Milavec, who will be mentioned further below. English translations of the work appeared first in the 1891 edition by Lightfoot & Harmer, and then Lake's 1912 version (with parallel Greek text) in the Loeb Classical Library. Lake's work was substantially revised by Bart Ehrman in LCL's 2003 version. A basic version by Kleist in the “Ancient Christian Writers” series appeared in 1948, and more substantial presentations were found in Goodspeed's 1950 edition as well as Kraft's version in volume 3 of Grant's 1950 edition. In all of the above, the Didache was bundled together with other early texts of the so-called Apostolic Fathers tradition, typically the Epistle to Barnabas and other non-canonical early Christian texts.
More recently, we have seen the appearance of stand-alone treatments of the Didache. Niederwimmer provided a critical edition and commentary in the excellent “Hermeneia” series, 1998. Milavec gave us The Didache: Text, Translation, Analysis and Commentary in 2003. Jefford's book therefore comes ten years after that of Milavec. Both Milavec and Jefford are well-respected, current scholars in Didache studies. Each has published articles and substantial books on the subject. How does Jefford's work differ from that of previous scholars, particularly Milavec?
Milavec provides a page-by-page Greek version with the English translation. In that respect, his book serves as a substitute for the Loeb library edition. Jefford does not provide the Greek text. Jefford and Milavec are similar in that their works each present a short but erudite discussion of the text. Milavec's book is 112 pages, Jefford's book has 75 pages. Each has an Introduction, though Jefford's discussion here arguably is more substantial, particularly relating to manuscript versions in different languages. Milavec provides an effective, brief commentary, drawing on his much larger 2003 commentary on the Didache. Each author provides a bibliography. Milavec works closely with his thesis that the Didache is a first-century tradition, though Jefford is not adverse to that estimation. The principal difference between the two books is the use of source manuscripts. Milavec works entirely from the one Greek text, whereas Jefford provides a two-column treatment of the translated Greek alongside the later Latin version of the Apostolic Constitution, along with a variant Greek fragment (P. Oxy 1782) and a few Coptic fragments when relevant. Jefford's work has an attractive page layout, which integrates the various versions, verse manuscript analysis, and footnotes.
Short works of this type (inexpensive editions containing current scholarship and one primary text) are suitable for classroom settings, typically upper-level undergraduate or graduate courses. Short versions cannot (and should not be expected to) provide the detailed coverage of Neiderwimmer's commentary or the more substantial commentary and analysis that Milavec and Jefford each offer in other works. Thus, readers who wish to begin to engage with the various traditions of the Didache are well served by Jefford's work. Those seeking a more straightforward discussion, along with Milavec's particular thesis, will seek out that work.