I recently saw this silver Cistophorus listed for sale at a coin-selling site. The reverse has a nice image and inscription related to Diana of Ephesus. The obverse is not too bad with images of Claudius and Agrippina. This coin provides a nice background illustration to Acts 19. The price is a bit out of my budget but as a friend of mine says, "I wouldn't mind if I found it under my Christmas tree!"
HT: Russell Atherton
Jon C. Laansma and Randall X. Gauthier. The Handy Guide to Difficult and Irregular Greek Verbs: Aids for Readers of the Greek New Testament. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2017.
The Handy Guide to Difficult and Irregular Greek Verbs is described by the publisher as “a learning aid especially for those transitioning from beginning courses in Greek to regular reading of the New Testament.”
The authors helpfully define a “difficult or irregular verb” from the perspective of that beginning Greek student who understands the present active indicative, first singular as the basic form (p. 12). Typically, the verbs that have unusual principle parts provide the greatest challenge for those who seeking proficiency in reading the New Testament. So a resource like this one can be a great help.
I especially two aspects of this work. First, it might be a bit nerdy, but I actually enjoyed reading the preface and introduction which helped me further appreciate the amount of work and thought that went into this resource. Second, the frequency list on pp. 23–26 is helpful. This list will help readers to prioritize their memorization efforts.
In sum, this is a handy little book. It is inexpensive, concise, and the same size as to the two most frequently used Greek New Testaments. Like many resources, it is not indispensable since people have been able to read the Greek New Testament without it. But in the constant search for better, more effective, and efficient ways of learning Greek, this volume definitely makes a contribution.
Thanks to Kregel for providing the copy used in this unbiased review.
