This book is the first large-scale study of the Metaphrasis Psalmorum since the middle of the twentieth century. It provides a revised critical text and complete modern translation of the poem, as well as an extensive introduction, which explores in detail critical questions such as authorship and the poet's engagement with early Christian exegesis. On the basis of a thorough re-examination of the poem's theology, its relationship to other late antique poetry, and relevant external evidence, it is argued, contrary to received opinion, that the Metaphrasis Psalmorum is a genuine work of Apollinaris of Laodicea, the influential if controversial bishop of the 4th century. It is also demonstrated that the poet interacts in a more wide-reaching and intentional way with early Christian exegesis on the Psalms than has previously been recognized, including the exegesis of Origen's newly discovered Homilies on the Psalms. The introduction includes broader discussion of the tradition of early Christian classicizing poetry, the poet's engagement with the Hellenic tradition, and his paraphrastic technique. The revised text and translation make more accessible a poorly known and understudied poem, which is nevertheless a major and important poetic work of late antiquity. The book aims to promote greater awareness of the Metaphrasis Psalmorum and act as a catalyst for future work on the paraphrase.

The Bible was the lifeblood of virtually every aspect of the life of the early churches. This Handbook explores a wide array of themes related to the reception, canonization, interpretation, uses, and legacies of the Bible in early Christianity.

This book shows how Ancient Christians both used curses and criticized them in ancient Mediterranean religion and society.

In twenty-five chapters by leading scholars, this volume propagates a nuanced understanding of Byzantine "literature", highlighting key problems, and presenting basic research tools for an audience of specialists and non-specialists.

An exhaustive guide to every significant Christian theologian who lived from the first century to 1308, the year in which John Duns Scotus died. The dictionary encompasses the Catholic, Orthodox, Nestorian and Monophysite traditions, including information not previously available in English. Thoroughly indexed, the dictionary incorporates common variants of names and concepts which will help and direct the reader. The main criterion for inclusion has been contribution to the development of Christian theology. Sub-criteria by which that is measured include, above all, originality and influence on later figures. With over 290 entries, the dictionary provides a handy summary of theologiansi lives and writings together with recent scholarship,as well as an up-to-date, definitive bibliography listing primary texts, translations and secondary literature in the major western European languages. Useful for all levels of academia; no other text matches the depth of the dictionaryis bibliographies. The unprecedented thoroughness of Hill's compilation provides an essential resource for studies at all levels on such a large and varied range of Church thinkers.

The Septuagint is the term commonly used to refer to the corpus of early Greek versions of Hebrew Scriptures. The collection is of immense importance in the history of both Judaism and Christianity. The renderings of individual books attest to the religious interests of the substantial Jewish population of Egypt during the Hellenistic and Roman periods, and to the development of the Greek language in its Koine phase. The narrative ascribing the Septuagint's origins to the work of seventy translators in Alexandria attained legendary status among both Jews and Christians. The Septuagint was the version of Scripture most familiar to the writers of the New Testament, and became the authoritative Old Testament of the Greek and Latin Churches. In the early centuries of Christianity it was itself translated into several other languages, and it has had a continuing influence on the style and content of biblical translations. The Oxford Handbook of the Septuagint features contributions from leading experts in the field considering the history and manuscript transmission of the version, and the study of translation technique and textual criticism. The collection provides surveys of previous and current research on individual books of the Septuagint corpus, on alternative Jewish Greek versions, the Christian 'daughter' translations, and reception in early Jewish and Christian writers. The Handbook also includes several conversations with related fields of interest such as New Testament studies, liturgy, and art history.