Acknowledgments
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I am most grateful to Carol Harrison for her patient and gracious oversight of this project from its inception to its completion. I am also much indebted to Andrew Louth, who read the entire manuscript and made very valuable suggestions, as well as to Johan Leemans and Andrew Don, both of whom provided very helpful responses to an earlier version of Chapter 1, and to Paul Russell, who provided valuable consultation on Syriac material. Finally, I would like to express my thanks to my children, Elias and Maria, who are always unfailing in providing both inspiration and cheerful distraction.