Event: Research Colloquium: Alexey Somov “Prayers in “Hebrew” in New Testament Apocrypha and Late Antique Christian Hagiography”

“Beyond Canon_” Research Colloquium: this week's guest will be Alexey Somov, presenting his studies on “Prayers in “Hebrew” in New Testament Apocrypha and Late Antique Christian Hagiography ” at the Centre's seminar room in 3.14.

Abstract: 
In my presentation, which is a part of my research project “The Martyrdom of St Judas Cyriacus and Its Attitude to Judaism,” I examine four selected New Testament apocrypha and late antique Christian hagiographical texts which contain fragments of Hebrew that have largely lost or distorted their original meaning during transmission. These texts are the Acts of Pilate, the Finding of the True Cross (Inventio Crucis), the Martyrdom of St. Judas Cyriacus, and the Acts of the Apostle Philip. The accompanying Greek “translations” bear little or no resemblance to the supposed originals, suggesting that the authors or copyists had no real knowledge of Semitic languages. My analysis demonstrates that they did not treat these pseudo-Hebraic formulas as mere linguistic anomalies, but rather as markers of divine authority validating miracles and martyrdom accounts. They also reinforce the ethnic and religious identities of key figures and illuminate broader patterns of Christian engagement with Jewish traditions in Palestine and Asia Minor during the 4th–5th centuries.

Online participation via Zoom (external link, opens in a new window)