God's Library

June 25, 2018
Nongbri (Before Religion) challenges beliefs about ancient Christian papyri in this readable account of the gaps and suppositions regarding them within modern scholarship. He challenges the fixation on the contents of ancient writings at the expense of considering them as objects. He provides clear explanations of the production of ancient codices, the imprecise methods of dating them, and the complicated history of their reemergence—mostly in the late-19th through mid-20th centuries. Nongbri turns to three big papyri finds in order to home in on key problems. For the Beatty Papyri, Nongbri uses the wide range of dates assigned to the artifacts to show how paleography is much less precise than is often claimed. The murky tales of antiquities dealers complicates the study of the Bodmer Papyri, as researchers cannot be sure where they were found. Lastly, the records surrounding the excavation methods of the massive number of items found in trash heaps at Oxyrhynchus in Egypt leave many questions unanswered. Nongbri’s concluding chapter on the leaps scholars make to explain fragments is particularly illuminating. For instance, Nongbri questions many scholars’ assumption that fragments of gospels found today would have been contained within gospel compendiums in ancient times—a common belief among paleographists. Nongbri’s lucid arguments, free from any rancor, will give researchers and lay readers a greater appreciation for the complex problems involved in working with ancient writings.

Starred review from August 1, 2018

Nongbri (ancient history, Macquarie Univ.; Before Religion) challenges readers to reconsider the earliest Christian writings as three-dimensional objects, theorizing that we are unable to know precisely the dates or provenance of these texts, owing to circumspect antiquities dealers, questionable and/or dated excavation methods, and a singular focus on paleography. The first chapter details what we should consider in determining this critical bibliographical information: archaeological context of the collection(s), the size and layout of the text, binding techniques, type of paper and inks used, etc. The following sections focus on archaeological and scientific methods previously used to date these documents. To support his theory, Nongbri reexamines the Oxyrhynchus Papyri to illustrate how past practices in dating these materials can lead to inaccurate results. This well-researched, richly illustrated, and readable volume makes a strong case for why alternative methods ought to be used in the dating and locating of early Christian documents. VERDICT For those interested in the history of the book, religious studies, paleography, and archaeology. Highly recommended.--Jacqueline Parascandola, Univ. of Virginia, Charlottesville

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