xii preface
helpful for my own study of the Ebionites and their gospel. Stan Jones
and Matt Jackson-McCabe (also a Claremont alumnus), were among the
driving forces when we started a new Jewish Christianity consultation
at the SBL Annual Meeting (–; chaired by Matt), followed by
a Jewish Christian/Christian Judaism section (–) that I have
been co-chairing, first with Matt in – and with Stan from
onwards. Discussion with Matt and the sessions that we have organized
in the context of the SBL have greatly assisted my own research.
The late William L. Petersen was an invaluable guide through the jun-
gles of textual criticism and Diatessaronic witnesses. Despite his severe
illness, he was able to maintain his sense of humor and cheerful support
for a younger scholar to the very end. I wish this volume could, at least
partly, fulfill his overtly optimistic prophecy—an encouraging farewell a
couple of weeks before his death—that I will have something to give to
the study of Jewish Christianity.
Jörg Frey’s comments on my article on Eusebius were most helpful
and he has been very generous in sharing his forthcoming publications,
for which I am deeply grateful. Along with this project, I have also had
the privilege of cooperating with several other (originally) European
colleagues, always in a congenial and supporting atmosphere: Andrew
Gregory, Gerard P. Luttikhuizen, Tobias Nicklas, Pierluigi Piovanelli,
Christopher Tuckett and Joseph Verheyden deserve to be mentioned—
without forgetting many other European and American colleagues whose
comments on my papers and articles have helped me to develop my
argumentation.
The Department of Biblical Studies and the Helsinki Collegium of
Advanced studies (–) at the University of Helsinki have been
the most inspiring frameworks for the present project. I have been able
to enjoy cooperation with several colleagues in a congenial, innovative
and broadly learned context. The number of people in my “home depart-
ment” who have given me useful comments and tips over the years is too
great to be listed in detail here—in any case, my memory would fail if I
tried. Nevertheless, some names cannot be left unmentioned since with-
out these people, this work would probably not exist, or it would at least
be much poorer. Risto Uro’s contacts with Claremont and his practical
advice as an experienced “Claremonter” paved my way to California and
to the new contacts and networks that are vital when a post-doc starts
with a new research topic. Antti Marjanen has always been a helpful col-
league who has the admirable ability to plunge into a deep discussion
of another persons’ research topic—with the same curiosity and involve-