Associations in the Greco-Roman World: A Sourcebook

Associations in the Greco-Roman World provides students and scholars with a clear and readable resource for greater understanding of the social, cultural, and religious life across the ancient Mediterranean. The authors provide new translations of inscriptions and papyri from hundreds of associations, alongside descriptions of more than two dozen archaeological remains of building sites. Complemented by a substantial annotated bibliography and accompanying images, this sourcebook fills many gaps and allows for future exploration in studies of the Greco-Roman religious world, particularly the nature of Judean and Christian groups at that time.

Table of Contents:
List of Illustrations Epigraphic and Papyrological Abbreviations Acknowledgments Map of the Ancient Mediterranean with Regions Introduction INSCRIPTIONS AND PAPYRI Southern and Central Greece Macedonia Thracia Lower Danube and Bosporan Kingdom Asia Minor Greek Islands of the Aegean Greater Syria and the East Egypt Cyrenaica Italy and the Western Provinces BUILDINGS AND MEETING-PLACES Southern and Central Greece Macedonia Asia Minor Greek Islands of the Aegean Italy LITERARY REFERENCES General References Dealings with Civic or Imperial Authorities Legal Documents in the Digest of Justinian (ca. 527-565 CE) Annotated Bibliography Concordance and Indices

About the Author :
Richard S. Ascough is Associate Professor of New Testament at Queen's Theological College in Kingston, Ontario. Philip A. Harland is an associate professor in humanities and ancient history at York University. His recent books on social and religious life in the Greco-Roman world include Associations, Synagogues, and Congregations (2003) and Dynamics of Identity in the World of the Early Christians (2009). He also runs a group of websites, a podcast, and a blog on religions of the ancient Mediterranean at philipharland.com. John S. Kloppenborg is a specialist in Christian origins and Second Temple Judaism, and the social world of the early Jesus movement in Jewish Palestine and in the cities of the eastern Empire. He has written extensively on the Synoptic Sayings Gospel (Q) and the Synoptic Problem. He currently resides in Toronto, Canada.

Review :
"This is a valuable sourcebook that makes available in English a representative and comprehensive collection of texts on the associations in the Greco-Roman world." --Everett Ferguson, Distinguished Scholar in Residence, Abilene Christian University "Indispensable. A splendid resource for students at several levels, not merely in religious studies, but for anyone exploring the society and culture of the Hellenistic and Roman worlds." --Wayne A. Meeks, Woolsey Professor Emeritus of Biblical Studies, Yale University "This book provides an illuminating collection of a wide range of sources, bringing together, perhaps for the first time, epigraphic evidence about associations in the Greco-Roman world. I look forward to using it." --Ilias Arnaoutoglou, Senior Researcher, Research Centre for the History of Greek Law, Academy of Athens "This collection is quite extensive and contains considerably more than most New Testament scholars are aware of. A very welcome resource from a powerhouse of research." --Abraham Malherbe, Buckingham Professor Emeritus of New Testament Criticism and Interpretation, Yale Divinity School This is a book that will open doors into further work and stimulate reflection and engagement with the social settings of earliest Christianity. -- Steve Walton, St Mary's University -- Review of Biblical Literature ...the volume is far more than merely informative, and it offers a rich and reliable basis for comparative work across disciplines. -- Michael W. Holmes, Bethel University -- Religious Studies Review All engaged in research on the Greco-Roman world will find this collection valuable. -- Richard I. Pervo, Saint Paul, Minnesota -- Review of Biblical Literature