Book Review: When the Church Hid the Author of Hebrews

Priscilla's Letter: Finding the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews by Ruth Hoppin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Ruth Hoppin provides a compelling and convincing case that Priscilla is the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews. It is an engaging read. She presents the evidence as an attorney would in front of a jury, the readers functioning as the jury.

Ruth brings in evidence from within the letter, from related writings in the Bible, from other literature of the time, archaeology (in particular the Dead Sea Scrolls, Qumran, and the Essene sect), politics, sociology, history, anthropology, psychology, religious practices, literary analysis, and early church traditions. She argues persuasively, discussing and then countering arguments that might be made against Priscilla as the author.

When all the evidence is laid out, the only author that fits the profile is Priscilla.

Why was the identity of the author "lost?" The author was "lost accidentally on purpose." We don't have to go far in Christian history to understand why it was better, for the sake of broad acceptance of the letter, to hide the true identity of the author.

I truly enjoyed reading this book. I happen to accept Ms. Hoppin's arguments, but even if you ultimately do not, there is much in here in regards to the society and history around the latter half of the first century AD that I did not know before and should prove useful in reading and interpreting other New Testament texts.

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