7
that dialogues such as Trypho and TA are sandwiched within a larger narrative framework and include
many personal touches in them. These include certain ironic and personal remarks by the Jewish
interlocutor, and at times some effective counter-responses by the same, when he is allowed to do more
than just ask a question.
16
AZ and ST, however, do not contain as many of these "personal" touches,
although ST does claim to be an eyewitness account in its introduction (I, 1). Could it be possible that the
dialogues that have a greater narrative framework like Trypho and TA likely arose from actual situations,
while we cannot be that sure about the more formulaic and straightforward presentations in AZ and ST?
Final answers have not been provided here about these important questions. Many of these issues
can be explored further by those interested by securing the dissertations and out of print volumes in which
they are more thoroughly discussed. Hopefully, enough information has been provided in the new
translations to enable the reader of these dialogues to more effectively decide about these and other issues
which they raise, albeit in their dated, often biased and sometimes unusual manner. We will return to this
question of authenticity in the conclusion after we briefly introduce the three newly translated dialogues.
The Dialogue of Athanasius and Zacchaeus
In 1898 the British scholar F.C. Conybeare published the Greek texts of two ancient "debates"
between Jews and Christians, titled The Dialogues of Athanasius and Zacchaeus and Timothy and
Aquila.
17
While scholars have often mentioned Conybeare's work, comparatively little engagement has
been made with the content of these dialogues. This omission has been especially true in the case of AZ.
In a recent dissertation in French, the Swiss scholar, Patrick Andrist concludes his magisterial analysis of
The Dialogue of Athanasius and Zacchaeus with the following sentence a model example of what is
meant by the expression multum in parvo.
16
Note some places where these more personal remarks and responses can be seen: ST VI.22,25; TA 10.7; 37.1-5;
39.1,2; 45.1-4.
17
F.C. Conybeare, The Dialogues of Athanasius and Zacchaeus and Timothy and Aquila. Anecdota Oxoniensa,
Classical Series, Part 8 (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1898).