# The Lost Letters of Pergamum by Bruce Longenecker



## SolaScriptura (Feb 5, 2005)

I just wanted to pass this book on as a very helpful, and enjoyable, treat.

Through the medium of a historical fiction story, New Testament scholar Bruce Longenecker wrote this as a means of entertainingly educating his readers about several points of historical interest from the late first century as they pertain to the culture in which Christianity found herself. It isn’t a terribly long book, only 180 pp, but it is a very informative (and enjoyable) read.
The premise is basically this: 
A fictitious archeological dig in the site of ancient Pergamum uncovers a collection of scrolls which turn out to be a series of correspondences between Antipas (of Rev 2:13) and Luke (the writer of the Gospel and Acts). Throughout their interchanges, which are wonderfully interesting and educational, Antipas moves from being a pagan who thought that the Christians were justifiably persecuted by Nero to becoming a Christian who is ultimately martyred. 
A good story and I learned much. 


You can read the official synopsis (and several reviews) from Amazon.com here:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...f=sr_1_1/002-0715006-1870431?v=glance&s=books


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## Contra_Mundum (Feb 5, 2005)

Sounds like a neat read.


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## LadyFlynt (Feb 5, 2005)

If you like books like that you might enjoy G A Henty on the heavy side and the Bodie & Brock Thoene (Tay-nee) on the medium side.


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## SolaScriptura (Feb 5, 2005)

> _Originally posted by LadyFlynt_
> If you like books like that you might enjoy G A Henty on the heavy side and the Bodie & Brock Thoene (Tay-nee) on the medium side.



My wife (and mother-in-law) enjoy the Thoene's books.
Don't get me wrong, this isn't a novel. It isn't written primarily to entertain and secondarily to educate (as the Thoene's do, and there is nothing wrong with that at all), this is written primarily to educate and secondarily to entertain.


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## LadyFlynt (Feb 5, 2005)

Understand....GA Henty I believe is primarily to educate and second to entertain also...that's what I meant by "heavy side" and "medium side" (light side would be pure entertainment). It is said that if a boy were to read all of his books then he would have a full English history up to the 1800's. Big in the homeschooling community and some of the books I've found online for free download (always a bargain hunter).


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