[B-Greek] BIBLION, Rev 1.11, and EIS BIBLION (singular)...hEPTA...

Barry nebarry at verizon.net
Sat Jul 25 08:45:33 EDT 2009



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From: "Mitch Larramore" <mitchlarramore at yahoo.com>
Sent: Saturday, July 25, 2009 8:33 AM
To: "B- Greek" <b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: [B-Greek] BIBLION, Rev 1.11, and EIS BIBLION (singular)...hEPTA...

> In Rev 1.11 John is told to write what he sees in a BIBLION, and in Luke 
> 4, the BIBLION was to be unrolled. Should we understand any use of BIBLION 
> to mean "scroll"? And if so, what would be the Greek word for "codex"? Is 
> BIBLION a reference to the 'material' out of which a "book" is made? 
> BIBLION is also used of 'papyrus.' And BUBLOS is used of the pith from an 
> Egyptian plant.
>
> Second question on Rev 1.11
>
> hO BLEPEIS GRAYON EIS BIBLION KAI PEMYON TAIS hEPTA EKKLHSIAIS, EIS EFESON 
> KAI EIS SMURNAN...
>
> How can John write a scroll (singular) and send [it] to 7 churches? Seems 
> to me he needs to write 7 scrolls. Or, are we to use common sense and 
> assume he would have enough copies made to follow this instruction?

It could also have been a circular, the first recipients, when done, would 
send it to the next, and so forth.  Here it is probably a literary device.

More common sense in biblical interpretation is always a good thing, but 
also a rara avis.

N.E. Barry Hofstetter
Adjunct Faculty, Classics @ Montclair
http://www.montclair.edu/
Classics Instructor, The American Academy
http://www.theamericanacademy.net/

And me: http://my.opera.com/barryhofstetter/blog 




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