[B-Greek] agrammatos in Acts 4:13

Albert Pietersma albert.pietersma at sympatico.ca
Tue Feb 24 10:25:02 EST 2009


In other words, someone who wasn't GRAMMATIKOS, skilled in letters.  
Cf. Isa 33:18.
Al
On Feb 24, 2009, at 3:24 AM, Thomas J. Kraus wrote:

> Dear Timothy,
>
> Please, allow me to point to my article in New Testament Studies
> "'Uneducated', 'ignorant', or even 'illiterate'? Aspects and  
> Background for
> an Understanding of AGRAMMATOI (and IDIWTAI) in Acts 4:13", NTS 45  
> (1999),
> 434-49 (reprinted with addendum in T.J. Kraus, Ad Fontes: Original
> Manuscripts and Their Significance for Studying Early Christianity,
> Brill/Leiden 2007).
>
> With the help of documentary papyri and the context Acts 4:13 is  
> embedded
> in, a non-pejorative use of AGRAMMATOS ([being] without letters) can  
> be
> proved. Your idea "[being] without formal training" (IDIWTHS) is  
> also backed
> by what I have written there with backing from documentary papyri  
> and other
> relevant material.
> In general, illiteracy was not  regarded as faulty and bad as it is  
> today
> (something I worked on in general, for instance, addressing the  
> issue of
> "slow writers" of documents or specific officials in Roman Egypt).
>
> Hope this helps,
>
> Thomas J. Kraus
>
> On 24.02.2009 4:59 Uhr "timothy mcmahon" at <targum at msn.com> wrote:
>
>>
>> Friends:
>>
>> Wondering if anyone is aware of a less than literal usage of  
>> AGRAMMATOS
>> anywhere. Bauer, LSJ and M&M all seem sure it means 'illiterate'  
>> rather than
>> simply 'unsophisticated' or 'without formal training' (i.e., akin  
>> to IDIWTHs
>> in the same verse).
>> ---
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>
> ---
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—
Albert Pietersma PhD
21 Cross Street,
Weston ON Canada M9N 2B8
Email: albert.pietersma at sympatico.ca
Homepage: http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~pietersm




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