Eusebius the Evangelist: Rewriting the Fourfold Gospel in Late Antiquity

Eusebius of Caesarea reorganized the Gospels into the Eusebian apparatus, which was a sophisticated system of textual relationships. This study compares ancient disciplines with early Christian sources to demonstrate how Eusebius' fourfold Gospel worked in the hands of readers, revealing how it transformed their encounters with the text on the page.

Format: Hardback
Length: 224 pages
Publication date: 23 December 2022
Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc

Eusebius, the Evangelist, delves into the intricate reconfiguration of the Gospels by Eusebius of Caesarea in the fourth century, offering a profound insight into the broader realm of technology and textuality in the ancient Mediterranean. While the four Gospels of the New Testament, namely Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, share common language, narratives, and ideas, they also exhibit distinct structural variations and intricate details. Eusebius' remarkable achievement is the creation of the Eusebian apparatus, a sophisticated system that intricately weaves together the various textual relationships within the Gospels. Through his editorial intervention, which includes the use of tables, sectioning, and tables of contents, Eusebius actively participates in a broader late ancient transformation in reading and knowledge. This study juxtaposes diverse ancient disciplines, such as chronography, astronomy, geography, medicine, philosophy, and textual criticism, with a wide array of early Christian sources, uncovering neglected evidence from material texts and technical literature. By exploring these diverse phenomena, the study sheds light on Eusebius' innovative use of textual technologies, revealing how his fourfold Gospel functioned in the hands of readers.

Eusebius' creative juxtapositions of Gospel material had a lasting impact on Gospel reading. Not only did he continue the trajectories of Gospel writing established by his predecessors, but his apparatus continued to generate new possibilities for readers. For over a millennium, in numerous languages and countless manuscripts, Eusebius' invention transformed the way readers engaged with the Gospel text on the page. By employing emerging textual technologies, Eusebius opened up new avenues for reading, thereby reshaping the fourfold Gospel in a significant and enduring manner.

In conclusion, Eusebius' reconfiguration of the Gospels through the Eusebian apparatus not only enriched our understanding of the New Testament but also shed light on the broader cultural and intellectual landscape of the ancient Mediterranean. His innovative use of textual technologies and his creative juxtapositions of Gospel material continue to influence Gospel reading and interpretation to this day, making him a pivotal figure in the history of Christian literature and scholarship.

Dimension: 235 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780197580042