Description

This is the third book in a series of volumes on leadership in the Early Church after Deacons and Diakonia in Early Christianity (WUNT II/479; 2018) and Deacons and Diakonia in Late Antiquity (WUNT II/606; 2024). The contributors to this volume offer an extensive investigation into the identity and function of presbyters in early Christianity, with particular attention to the first and second centuries CE. They examine the term pi sbeta in its linguistic, religious, and cultural contexts. Instead of a single interpretive framework, they seek to generate a multifaceted account grounded in detailed readings of primary sources.
The authors first explore the Old Testament background, focusing on the zaqenim and their renderings in the Septuagint. Then, they consider presbuteroi within late Jewish literature, Hellenistic writings, and inscriptions. Thirdly, they investigate New Testament usage and the implications for early Christian community structures and finally turn to second- and early third-century Christian texts, tracing the discussion through to Tertullian.
All contributions are guided by a shared set of questions regarding identity, role, plurality, gender, social setting, remuneration, and related leadership terminology. The methodological breadth is intentional: philological analysis is combined with historical and cultural approaches. In the concluding reflection, Frances Young connects the ancient figure of the presbyter with broader themes of wisdom, guidance, and pastoral responsibility. Together, the contributors illuminate the complexity of early Christian leadership and provide a nuanced understanding of presbyterial authority in its formative stages.