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[[Image:KJV 1611 Hebrews.jpg|right|thumb|250px|The 1611 edition of the [[King James Bible]] showing the opening of the Epistle to the Hebrews.]]

[[Image:KJV 1611 Hebrews.jpg|right|thumb|250px|The 1611 edition of the [[King James Bible]] showing the opening of the Epistle to the Hebrews.]]

The [[Epistle to the Hebrews]] is the nineteenth book of the [[New Testament]]. Unlike the other epistles, it is distinctly unlike a letter, and has a "symbolic style and sustained argument that mark it as a [[Hellenism|Hellenistic]] work based on the [[Jewish]] tradition."<ref>Saldarini, Anthony J. [http://mb-soft.com/believe/txs/hebrews.htm ''Epistle to the Hebrews''] Believe. Accessed 15 March 2008</ref> Overall, the tone is very Jewish, and a proper understanding of the epistle requires a familiarity with the [[Old Testament]] scriptures, particularly [[Leviticus]].<ref>Pawson, J. David ''Unlocking The Bible'' p.1113 (London, Collins; 2003) ISBN 978 0 00 716666 4</ref>  It is the only New Testament letter not introduced by the name of its author.  

The [[Epistle to the Hebrews]] is the nineteenth book of the [[New Testament]]. Unlike the other epistles, it is distinctly unlike a letter, and has a "symbolic style and sustained argument that mark it as a [[Hellenism|Hellenistic]] work based on the [[Jewish]] tradition."<ref>Saldarini, Anthony J. [http://mb-soft.com/believe/txs/hebrews.htm ''Epistle to the Hebrews''] Believe. Accessed 15 March 2008</ref> Overall, the tone is very Jewish, and a proper understanding of the epistle requires a familiarity with the [[Old Testament]] scriptures, particularly [[Leviticus]].<ref>Pawson, J. David ''Unlocking The Bible'' p.1113 (London, Collins; 2003) ISBN 978 0 00 716666 4</ref>  It is the only New Testament letter not introduced by the name of its author.

 

The [[Greek]] of the epistle is particularly sophisticated, and widely regarded as the best example in the New Testament,<ref>Pawson, J. David op cit</ref> noted for its "striking purity and elegance".<ref>"Language and style" [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07181a.htm ''Epistle to the Hebrews''] Catholic Encyclopedia. Accessed 15 March 2008</ref> Not only does the author show "great familiarity with the rules of the Greek literary language" but also "of all the New Testament authors he has the best style. His writing may even be included among those examples of artistic Greek [[prose]] whose rhythm recalls the parallelism of [[Hebrew]] poetry."<ref>Catholic Encyclopedia op cit</ref> Even in the English translation, the language is refined and sophisticated. It uses 168 terms which appear in no other part of the New Testament, including ten words found neither in [[koine]] or classical Greek, and a further forty words which do not appear in the [[Septuagint]].  

==References==

==References==