Geez, Kevin, I just got caught up on the last meme. But I concur with Jim that this new twist has the potential for some interesting thoughts. Here are Kevin’s rules:

1.) List the 5 primary sources that have most affected your scholarship, thoughts about antiquity, and/or understanding of the NT/OT.

2.) Books from the Bible are off limits unless you really want to list one, I certainly will not chastise you for it.

3.) Finally, choose individual works if you can.  This will be more interesting than listing the entire corpus of Cicero as one of your choices.

Here are my texts:

1. Book of the Watchers (1 Enoch) – see my explanation on my last meme response.
2. The Martyrdom of Perpetua and Felicitas – How awesome is this text! It really stokes my imagination about both gender roles and the martyr impulse within in early Christianity.
3. Two Spirits Treatise + War Scroll combo – Wow. Just dripping with rich dualistic sweetness.
4. Ben Sira – Single most important book in the search for the social location and roles of scribes in his time. It also contains some really beautiful texts.
5. Tobit – I read this somewhat neglected ancient “Touched By an Angel” episode early on and it has always made an impression on me as I consider piety and compassion in Second Temple life.

The last two are not in the canon that I use. It’s hard to leave off Josephus and the Didache, but the list has to stop somewhere. And I shall tag: Nijay Gupta, Mark Goodacre (I know his list will include Q), Loren Rosson, Mike Koke, and April DeConick.