Craig Evans and Jeremiah Johnston--Scribes and Their Remains

In this podcast, David Capes talks with Craig Evans, John Bisagno Distinguished Professor of Christian Origins at Houston Baptist University, and Jeremiah Johnston, founder and president of the Christian Thinkers Society, about their new book Scribes and Their Remains (T. & T. Clark, 2019).  Scholars have a growing interest in the artifacts of early Christianity, particularly the book culture and the scribes who produced them. We discuss an Egyptian papyrus, a pre-Christian letter written by a husband to his pregnant wife announcing he will be coming home late, after she gives birth.  He urges her: “If it is a boy, keep it; if it is a girl, throw it out.”  Early Christians, aware of the practice, wrote against it and sought to rescue exposed children.  Dr. Evans discusses his essay that deals with the longevity of ancient books.  Some evidence suggests that in the book culture of early Christianity some Christian books lasted 150-200 years.