The Homeric Centones and The Acts of Pilate.
London: C. J. Clay / Cambridge University Press, 1898. First Edition. Hardcover. Octavo. [viii] + 84pp. Original green cloth gilt lettered on spine. James Rendel Harris (1852 – 1941 was an English biblical scholar and curator of manuscripts, who was instrumental in bringing back to light many Syriac Scriptures and other early documents, many of which he acquired during extensive travels in the Middle East. According to Harris "the object of the present tract is the critical examination of a metrical form of the Scriptures which was current in very early times, and underwent a good deal of editing in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, thought it has since been almost lost sight of; and to point out the reflex influence which this pseudo-poetry exercised upon the literature and legends of the Christian Church. I refer, as my title shews, to the Homeric versifications which pass under the name of Centones, Homero-centrones, or Homero-Centra ..." Cloth a bit rubbed overall with a few faint spots and some light fading at margins of boards, spine ends slightly chafed, page-edges lightly browned, front endpaper split at inner hinge but hinge solid, a little browning at margins, occasional very minor marginal pencil marks to some pages, otherwise a solid, complete VG copy. Scarce. Item #45594
Price: $275.00