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Rekindling the Word: In Search of Gospel Truth

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Thiede has generated some controversy (and some opponents) with his other publications on some early papyri, yet he is an excellent scholar and demonstrates some acute perceptions in this collection of 19 essays.

This 204 page paperback is apparently printed on cheap (non-acid-free, nor ANSI certified) paper. The 19 essays are presented as 19 separate essays, unfortunately no index is available. Each essay has a proper bibliography. Essay number 18 concerns the Qumran fragment 7Q5 which Thiede suggests is a New Testament fragment. Many of the other 7Q fragments are of the apocryphal text titled "I Enoch" per the excellent research done by E. Muro, G. W. Nebe, and E. Puech.

Other fine essays are "Shorthand Writing in the New Testament" and "Dating Ancient Manuscripts: Why We Need to Work Together" --these are rousingly good essays. Generally, Thiede tries to educate as well as illuminate. His essay "Papyrus Bodmer L..." is a an example of his teaching ability. Thiede holds that the earliest NT manuscripts were written in scroll format as opposed to a codex format. This is very plausible (though not popular today). I can easily see Tertius (Paul's amanuensis for Romans) writing Paul's dictation first on a scroll, (much easier to do than to try to organize quires in codex formats). Sometime later (circa A.D. 70 - 90) Paul's epistles were collected into a single codex format.

These essays make the reader think, they are stimulating and challenging. Both reactions are needed in this area of Biblical research -- (challenge and stimulation). These are meaty topics. I recommend this work, despite the fact that Thiede at times, does not fairly present all of the opposing evidences against his preferred views. Gary S. Dykes...

Dr. Thiede is a papyrus researching insurgent. He counters much of the anti-conservative textual views of recent years by offering papyrus-based proof that the New Testament Greek texts are:

- Written by eyewitnesses to the events in the Gospels

- Accurate study of the papyrus which demonstrate that these documents were written within 15 years of the events described

- Not far enough from the deeds and words of Christ to be corrupted

Essays include:

- The origins of the Gospels and the Magdalen Manuscript (dated in the 40's or 50's: from the type of ink used and the stylized font of the papyrus)

- Radiocarbon dating and Papyrus p64 at Oxford

- Origin of the Gospel of Mark in light of recent investigations (Mark is very ancient)

- Observations on Luke

- Observations on 2Peter

- Christianity and Qumran

- Greek Qumran fragment 7Q5

- And over ten more essays

This is important textual research that the apologist should add to his library.

By Mike A Robinson author of numerous books on philoosphy and apologetics.