This title explores the implications of the Descent of Christ in the twenty-third Ode in regards to astrology and Gnostic thought and supports the thesis of the author’s earlier work that the Odes emerged from a Judaeo-Christian, Mesopotamian setting.

Reviewing the relevant Jewish and Christian literature the author demonstrates that though there is no mandate for ascetic practice within early Judaism, there is a deep respect there for an ascetic way of life.

A philological study of the usage of Memra, Shekinah, and Metatron in Tragumic and Cabbalistic literature that combats nineteenth century Christian attempts to read these as references to the Second or Third Persons of the Trinity.

This piece provides an introduction, translation and commentary to a previously unstudied lectionary text, which provides deeper insight into early liturgical practice and the conception of the canon; and includes an index of the lessons according to books of Scripture.

This work focuses on the literary and textual concerns of the Georgian and Armenian recensions of the Barlaam and Josaphat legend, and provides translations of all that remains of the Georgian text and the relevant Armenian parallels.

This essay provides a detailed description of each manuscript the author acquired during this sojourn among the Jews of Persia. A discussion of the rituals of the Jewish people which the author met offers great insight into their liturgical life.

This essay takes a text critical approach to the comparison between the Septuagint and Massoretic texts of Hosea. Its reproduction seems timely as Septuagint studies have seen increased interest in recent times.

A translator of Aristotle and friend of Jacob of Edessa and Athanasios of Balad, George, Bishop of the Arab Tribes (d. AD 724) was an important figure in the history of the life and thought of the Syrian Orthodox Church. This article offers a study of the first three of George’s eleven extant letters and relates them to the larger Christian and Islamic context of his day. It will be of interest to students of Greek patristics, Syriac Christianity, and early Islamic history.

A discussion of the Gortyn law code, one of the earliest known in the Greek world. This is an edition, translation and commentary on the Gortyn law code with introduction.

Originally delivered as one of the St. Margaret’s Lectures for 1904, the contents of this booklet are focused on aspects of the Syriac-speaking Church. Extracted from Burkitt’s book Early Eastern Christianity, the fifth lecture explores Bardaisan and his unique contribution to Syriac Christianity.

In this second lecture extracted from Sayce’s Origin and Growth of Religion, the renowned Assyriologist specifically considers the Babylonian deity Bel-Merodach. Noting that Cyrus the Great was a worshipper of this deity, the outlook of the priesthood of Bel-Merodach regarding his conquest of Babylon begins the discussion. Sayce then discusses localized versions of Merodach, considering Eridu, Borsippa, and Assur.

Extracted from Arthur Penrhyn Stanley’s Lectures on the History of the Eastern Church, this initial essay lays out his general perceptions of the Eastern Church. He considers the divisions of the church, the historical epochs into which it falls, and the general characteristics and the advantage of studying them.

C. E. Hammond's Antient Liturgies provided a valuable resource at an early stage in comparative liturgical studies. Free of extensive critical apparatus, Antient Liturgies presents a collection of historic forms of worship from the Western, Eastern, and Oriental Churches. This extract from the book focuses on the Armenian liturgy. With a beginning in the early fourth century, in connection with the Exarchate of Caesarea, this liturgy is presented in English. As an analytical introduction this early study continues to provide a broad overview of early Christian worship made available in an accessible and convenient format for students and scholars.

C. E. Hammond's Antient Liturgies provided a valuable resource at an early stage in comparative liturgical studies. Free of extensive critical apparatus, Antient Liturgies presents a collection of historic forms of worship from the Western, Eastern, and Oriental Churches. This extract from the book focuses on the Coptic liturgy. The origin of the liturgy goes back to the St. Cyril and St. Basil liturgies. Here the liturgy is presented in Latin. As an analytical introduction this early study continues to provide a broad overview of early Christian worship made available in an accessible and convenient format for students and scholars.

Originally delivered as one of the Jowett Lectures for 1906, the contents of this booklet emerged during the first quest for the historical Jesus. Somewhat surprisingly, Burkitt discovered that historical criticism increased the historical credibility of the Synoptic Gospels in his estimation. This sixth lecture in the series turns to the Gospel of John. Burkitt addresses the enduring questions of authorship and historicity, comparing the Gospel of John to the Synoptics, Philo, the Gnostics, and the Stoics.

Originally delivered as one of the St. Margaret’s Lectures for 1904, the contents of this booklet are focused on aspects of the Syriac-speaking Church. Extracted from Burkitt’s book Early Eastern Christianity, the first lecture concerns the early bishops of Edessa. Starting from the basic difference between Eastern and Western Christian outlooks, Burkitt briefly sketches the early history of documented Edessa. Christianity appeared in the city between its sacking by the Romans and its incorporation into the Roman Empire around the start of the third century A.D.

Originally delivered as one of the St. Margaret’s Lectures for 1904, the contents of this booklet are focused on aspects of the Syriac-speaking Church. Extracted from Burkitt’s book Early Eastern Christianity, the second lecture proposes a theory of how the Syriac Bible was compiled. Burkitt considers the role of the Peshitta, the Diatessaron, and the four Gospels and how their history at Edessa suggests that the Syriac Bible appeared.

Originally delivered as one of the St. Margaret’s Lectures for 1904, the contents of this booklet are focused on aspects of the Syriac-speaking Church. Extracted from Burkitt’s book Early Eastern Christianity, the third lecture concerns the theology of Eastern Christianity. Burkitt provides a brief survey of the work of Aphraates, Philoxenus of Mabbug, Ephraim the Syrian, and Rabbula.

Originally delivered as one of the Jowett Lectures for 1906, the contents of this booklet emerged during the first quest for the historical Jesus. Somewhat surprisingly, Burkitt discovered that historical criticism increased the historical credibility of the Synoptic Gospels in his estimation. This fourth lecture in the series begins by noting that in early Christianity it was Jesus that was preached and not Jesus’ sayings. Burkitt thus suggests some criteria for finding Jesus’ original words and then applies them in order to reconstruct the teachings of Jesus.

Originally the fourth in a series of five lectures delivered at Harvard University, this extract is an early attempt to tackle a formidable subject: the religion of ancient Iraq, or Mesopotamia. Noting that sacred writings are nearly universal among religions, Rogers offers a brief exposition on the sacred writings of the ancient Mesopotamians. Engaging and informative, Rogers’ narrative is accessible to the specialist and general reader alike.

Chase describes three tripods found in Etruscan tombs and discusses the extent to which they represent Etruscan adoption of Greek tripod-offering customs.

In this paper William Dinsmoor, a historian of architecture and one of the scholars involved in the rebuilding of the Acropolis in the early 20th century, here uses a variety of evidence to set a date for this burning.

James Rendel Harris uses known statistics of ancient autographs (that is, the original version of a written document) to posit the general appearance of ancient documents in their original form.

Horton-Smith presents a defense of the Law of Thurneysen and Havet, which describes changes in Latin vowels during the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC.

Edward Hopkins, a famous scholar of comparative linguistics, compares the features of the future tense in languages of Aryan (Indo-European) origin.