McLean, Bradley H., Hellenistic and Biblical Greek: A Gradua

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cwconrad
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McLean, Bradley H., Hellenistic and Biblical Greek: A Gradua

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Bradley H. McLean, Hellenistic and Biblical Greek: A Graduated Reader. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2014. Pp. xxxiv, 509. ISBN 9781107686281. $39.99 (pb).

BMCR has a very favorable review, with minor reservations: http://www.bmcreview.org/2015/08/20150822.html
An elaboration of the contents illustrates this book's pedagogical intent and effectiveness.

Chapter 1. Basic Level: Early Christian Texts (1–67). This chapter includes excerpts from the Didache, the Gospel of Luke, the Gospel of Thomas, the Gospel of Mark, the Shepherd of Hermas, the Gospel of Mary Magdalene, the Protoevangelium of James, the Gospel of Peter, and the Revelation of John.
Chapter 2. Basic Level: the Isometric Translational Greek of the Septuagint (69–94). This chapter includes excerpts from LXX Genesis, 1 Kings, Jeremiah, Amos, Exodus, and Isaiah.
Chapter 3. Intermediate Level: Jewish Recensional Greek (95–140). This chapter includes excerpts from LXX 1 Esdras, Esther, 1 Maccabees, Job, Daniel, 1 Enoch, and the Life of Adam and Eve.
Chapter 4. Intermediate-Level Hellenistic Greek (141–183). This chapter includes excerpts from diplomatic and military papyri, Galatians, 1 Thessalonians, 1–2 Corinthians, Philippians, and Romans.
Chapter 5. High-Intermediate-Level Hellenistic Greek (185–259). This chapter includes excerpts from Acts, a papyrus magical handbook, Barnabas, the Martyrdom of Polycarp, the Apocalypse of Peter, the Acts of Paul, and the Acts of Thomas.
Chapter 6. Advanced-Level Hellenistic Greek: Jewish Literary Greek (261–300). This chapter includes excerpts from 2 Maccabees, 4 Maccabees, Philo, the Testament of Reuben, and Ezekiel the Tragedian.
Chapter 7. Inscriptions (301–384). This chapter includes excerpts from religious, associational, and civic inscriptions from sites in Greece, Delos, Kos, and Asia Minor.
Chapter 8. Advanced-Level Hellenistic Greek: Atticizing and Literary Greek (385–421). This chapter includes excerpts from Philostratus, Epicurus, Epictetus, and Poimandres.
There is also a free, online Digital supplement which provides an additional 142 pages (!) of excerpts. This supplement also serves as an excellent sample of the book's general content and layout.
οὔτοι ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς πάντα θεοὶ θνητοῖς ὑπέδειξαν,
ἀλλὰ χρόνῳ ζητέοντες ἐφευρίσκουσιν ἄμεινον. (Xenophanes, Fragment 16)

Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University (Retired)
Tony Pope
Posts: 134
Joined: July 14th, 2011, 6:20 pm

Re: McLean, Bradley H., Hellenistic and Biblical Greek: A Gr

Post by Tony Pope »

At least the free supplement seems worth picking up! (Link in the BMCR review.)
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