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The Letter of Mara bar Sarapion to his son preserved in a single Syriac manuscript (7th. cent. CE) still speaks to its readers, evocatively depicting the dramatic situation of a nobleman imprisoned after the Roman capture of Samosata, capital of Commagene. The letter is best known today for a passage on the wise king of the Jews, which may be one of the earliest pagan testimonies concerning Jesus Christ. Ongoing controversy over the letter s date, nature, and purpose have, however, led to the widespread neglect of this intriguing document. In the present volume, Merz and Tieleman have brought together cutting-edge research from an interdisciplinary team of leading experts that significantly advances our appreciation of the letter and its historical context.
About the author
Annette Merz, PhD (2001), is Professor of Culture and Literature of Earliest Christianity at the University of Utrecht. She has published books and articles on the Historical Jesus and on Pauline Pseudepigraphy, including
Die fiktive Selbstauslegung des Paulus (2004).
Teun Tieleman, PhD (1992), is Reader in Ancient Philosophy at the University of Utrecht. He has published extensively on Stoicism and on ancient medicine, most notably Galen. His monographs include
Chrysippus on Affections. Reconstruction and Interpretation (2007).
