
B. P. Grenfell and A. S. Hunt
In 1897, two archeologists stumbled upon the greatest cache of papyrus manuscripts ever discovered. B. P. Grenfell and A. S. Hunt’s discovery of over two thousand manuscripts buried in a trash heap in the sands of Oxyrhynchus was a watershed event for New Testament and lexicography studies.
The Oxyrhynchus Papyri, as they’ve come to be known, date from as early as the first century CE all the way through the ninth century CE. They include literary works from Homer, Plato, and Sophocles, as well as other important works from antiquity. Also buried in the sands were some of the earliest manuscript witnesses to the New Testament writings. Among these discoveries were fragments of Matthew 1, Romans 1, and 1 John 4, parts of 1 Corinthians and Philippians, and a leaf from Revelation. These discoveries gave paleographers and lexicographers new manuscripts to analyze and compare with the thousands already at their disposal.
Why Is This Discovery Important for New Testament Studies?
Before the discovery of the Oxyrhynchus Papyri, New Testament Greek was often called “Holy Ghost Greek.” This referred to the unusual style and syntax used by New Testament authors in their writings. Scholars like Adolf Deissmann and J. H. Moulton noted that the style of the New Testament was similar to that of personal letters, informal notes, and other non-literary documents found amongst the other Oxyrhynchus Papyri manuscripts. The discovery of the papyri put to rest the theory of a divinely inspired Greek language and allowed scholars to analyze the language of the New Testament alongside contemporary first-century writings.
Having the Oxyrhynchus Papyri (vols. 1–15) in your Logos library allows you to do serious textual studies first-hand. For anyone engaged in textual criticism, the Oxyrhynchus Papyri are an indispensable tool. Instead of doing research based on what other experts say, you can engage in critical research with the primary sources themselves! What’s more, included with the Greek inscriptions are discussions on particular examples, translations with line-by-line commentary and the reasoning behind textual reconstructions, and references to relevant parallels. So even if your Greek is not as good as it once may have been, the Oxyrhynchus Papyri (vols. 1–15) is still a valuable reference tool for contextual study of the New Testament.
The Oxyrhynchus Papyri are on Community Pricing, and what makes Community Pricing so great is that it lets you set the price! The final price will be the lowest one with enough bids to cover production costs. To snag a copy of the Oxyrhynchus Papyri (vols. 1-15) at the lowest possible price, all you have to do is make sure your bid is at or above the final community bid.
Place your bid now, and tell everyone that might be interested in this resource to bid too. The more who bid, the quicker this goes into production at the lowest possible price!



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The Intermediate Library Builder (500 vols.)
Thursday, February 2 was a somber day for every student of New Testament Greek. Frederick W. Danker, arguably the world’s foremost Greek lexicographer, passed away at the age of 91.
Paideia Commentaries on the New Testament: A Must Have!
I cannot say enough about this essential set of New Testament commentaries. The Paideia series features the latest in New Testament scholarship, while paying attention to the narrative and rhetorical strategies of the biblical authors. And unlike most critical commentaries, the Paideia New Testament series doesn’t focus on long, technical discussions about the origin of the New Testament; rather, it comments on the final canonical text as it is. This frees the commentator to do what a commentator does: comment on the text.
You’ll especially enjoy how these commentaries highlight important cultural practices, and compare the New Testament with other contemporary Greco-Roman documents.
Not convinced? Here’s what these scholars have to say:
If you’re looking for a commentary series that’s stimulating, informative, and easy to read, the Paideia Commentaries on the New Testament is the set you need to have! Pre-order it now!