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BOOK REVIEWS 493 phasize novelties as such but carefully revises information taken from many sources, fully discussed, and not, I believe, available elsewhere. He discusses each topic in relation not just to the Church but to the Graeco-Roman world generally, including both Jews and Gnostics. His study merits careful reading and continuing use because of its valuable collections, insightful comments, and thoroughness. In essence he has provided a "companion to early Christian literature" which should be required reading. A few supplemental questions may be worth raising. (1) The term "published " should not be used of ancient books, as Gamble is well aware, and surely Christian literature was never sold by booksellers. (2) What Irenaeus means by "tradition" is largely the content of the Bible plus those Christian books to which he has had access. He chooses some, accepts others. Where did he see them? Under whose guidance? (3) On literature and oral tradition, one should add what Irenaeus says (3.4.2) of Christian converts:"Those who have believed this faith without letters are barbarians in relation to our language [2 Cor. 11:6] but because of the faith are most wise in thinking, customs, and way of life, and they please God as they live in complete justice, chastity, and wisdom." Scripture as such seemed unnecessary. And in view of widespread and selective memorization and/or anthologizing one cannot always infer a library or even knowledge of a book from an author's quotations. (4) More could be said about Jerome (who read more than Augustine) and his approaches to reading and writing, especially in view of Courcelle's demonstration that he read hardly any Greek patristic literature. (5) Finally, both Kenyon and Lewis (cited p.266 n. 20) deal only with mechanical factors in book length, really determined by authors' intentions;see myEusebius as Church Historian (Oxford, 1980),pp. 29-31. (6) Membranas (2 Tim. 4:13) is analyzed twice (pp. 50 and 64), but I am not casting the first stone! Robert M. Grant University ofChicago The Synagogues and Churches ofAncient Palestine. By Leslie J. Hoppe. (CoIlegeville ,Minnesota:The Liturgical Press, A Michael Glazier Book. 1994. Pp. v, 145;39 illustrations. $11.95 paperback.) This is a first book in the archaeology of synagogues and churches. As such it is also a brief handbook for understanding Judaism and Christianity from the point of view of ancient architecture. The author has confined archaeological evidences to architectural evidences, and specifically the architecture of holy places in these two religions. The book is organized into an introduction, ten chapters, and a conclusion, all compressed into 139 pages of text. Thirty-nine illustrations aid the reader. These include two maps of the sites mentioned in the text, photographs and drawings of architectural elements, floor plans, and inscriptions, several per- 494 BOOK REVIEWS spective or orthogonal drawings of buildings, and mosaic floors. The first four chapters are devoted to the evidence of synagogues, while the last six describe the finds relative to churches. Thus the survey is tipped in favor of church remains . The author explains that the purpose of the book is to fill out the reader's understanding of ancient Judaism and Christianity by showing how Jewish and Christian beliefs came to expression in the construction ofplaces of worship. Not only does the author lead the reader through the architectural remains of these buildings,but he introduces the reader to preliminary issues in synagogue and church building research. The issues for synagogue research include theories of the origins of the synagogue,"activities" in the sense of worship, and theories of synagogue design. He introduces the reader to recent studies of the effect of"regionalism" on religious practice. This is one of the few places in the book where the author opens the door to understanding Judaism—and therefore Christianity—as a multiplex entity with various expressions in various places. The issues for church building research include theories of the origins of the church building, the architectural style of the church building, typical features of a church building, the regional distribution of churches before Constantine, and churches before Constantine (caves, private homes, and synagogues, none of which are extant). The...

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