TATIAN'S DIATESSARON; Its Creation, Dissemination, Significance, & History in Scholarship

Leiden New York Köln: E. J. Brill / Supplements to Novum Testamentum Volume XXV, 1994. First Edition. Cloth. Fine/Fine. PRESENTATION COPY to R. M. Grant from the Author William L. Petersen ("W.L.P."), small quarto (9 3/4" x 6 1/2"), blue cloth with gold lettering on spine and front cover, Mylar-protected blue dust jacket (unclipped) with white lettering, xix, [xx] + 555 pages + [1] Supplements. Weighs 2 lbs 8 oz. The Diatessaron is first gospel harmony composed c. 172 C.E. This conflated text is one of the earliest witnesses to the gospels. Regarded as the first version of the gospels in Latin, Syriac, and Armenian, the Diatessaron was used by Encratites, Judaic-Christians, and "Great Church" Christians alike. Tatian's edition, however, was eventually supplanted by a later modified version, so enormously erudite scholars (like Petersen and Baarda) have labored to reconstitute the earlier version from variants in a variety of early, difficult, and outlying texts. This study is the first comprehensive treatment of the Diatessaron in more than a century. After sketching the second-century setting and Tatian's biography, it describes virtually every Diatessaronic witness and provides a scholar-by-scholar summary of reserach from 546 to the present. Criteria for reconstructing Diatessaronic readings are developed, and numerous examples offer the reader first-hand experience with the witnesses. It contains the first bibliography of research on the Diatessaron (more than 600 titles) and the only 'Catalogue of Manuscripts of Diatessaronic Witnesses and Related Works' ever published." Reviews: 'This is a masterly treatment comprehensively setting out all the problems and issues relating to this famous second century harmony, and is to be warmly recommended.' J.K. Elliott, The Expository Times, 1995. 'The book is richly furnished with meticulous footnotes and a bibliography of over 700 titles.' J.K. Elliott, Novum Testamentum, 1995. 'This careful and demanding work is highly recommended for research libraries.' Gary A. Anderson Religious Studies Review, 1996. 'Both the author and the publisher are to be congratulated on the production of a significant volume, for which many will be grateful.' Bruce M. Metzger, Journal of Biblical Literature, 1996. '...a magnificent book that ought to be on the shelves of every library.' T. Baarda, Biblica, 1996. 'Ohne sein Buch ist fortan keine Weiterarbeit am Diatessaron zu denken.' Walter Beltz, Zeitschrift fur Religions- und Geistesgeschichte, 1998. OUR COPY HAS ADDITIONAL DISTINCTION BECAUSE OF ITS ASSOCIATION BETWEEN TWO GREAT NEW TESTAMENT SCHOLARS: DRS. WM. PETERSEN & ROBERT GRANT! William L. Petersen (1950 - 2006), Dr.Theol. (1984), University of Utrecht, was Associate Professor of New Testament and Christian Origins at the Pennsylvania State University. Publications include The Diatessaron and Ephrem Syrus as Sources of Romanos the Melodist; Gospel Traditions in the Second Century. From his SBL obituary: "Petersen, since 1999, was Professor of New Testament and Christian Origins in the Religious Studies Program and also Professor in the Department of Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies at the Pennsylvania State University in University Park, Pennsylvania. Earlier he was Associate Professor in both of those divisions (1993-1999 and 1995-1999, respectively), and Assistant Professor of New Testament and Christian Origins (1990-1993). From 1998 to 2006 he served as Director of the Religious Studies Program at Penn State. Before joining that faculty, he was Visiting Assistant (1985-1986) and Assistant Professor (1986-1990) of Early Church History and Patristics at the University of Notre Dame. "Petersen's brief career left us with what must now become his magnum opus: Tatian's Diatessaron: Its Creation, Dissemination, Significance, and History in Scholarship (VCSup 25; Brill, 1994), a massive volume, described by reviewers as "indispensable," "magnificent," "a masterly treatment comprehensively setting out all the problems and issues," and a "great achievement, the presentation of the most comprehensive companion to Tatian's Diatessaron ever written." Most sadly, this superb scholar died from kidney cancer. EXCEPTIONAL CONDITION for this copy Dr. Petersen inscribed to the great University of Chicago professor Robert M. GRANT (1917 - 2014). Grant became full professor at the U of C from 1958 and in 1973, the Carl Darling Buck Professor Emeritus of Humanities and of New Testament and Early Christianity; and he also professed at the Divinity School. His scholarly work focused on the New Testament and Early Christianity. His major texts ran to 25 published volumes on the NT, plus 3 on U-boats!