Reading and Pronouncing Biblical Greek

Historical Pronunciation versus Erasmian

Discover not only how Hellenistic “Koine” ought to be pronounced but also why…

Rigorously investigating the history of Greek orthography and sounds from classical times to the present, the author places linguistic findings on one side of the scale and related events on the other. The result is a balance between the evidence of the historical Greek sounds in Koine and pre-Koine times, and the political events that derailed those sounds as they were being transported through Europe’s Renaissance academia and replaced them with Erasmian.

The book argues for a return to the historical Greek sounds now preserved in Neohellenic (Modern Greek) as a step toward mending the Erasmian dichotomy that rendered post-Koine Greek irrelevant to New Testament Greek studies. The goal is a holistic and diachronic application of the Hellenic language and literature to illume exegetically the Greek text, as the New Testament contains numerous features that have close affinity with Neohellenic and should not be left unexplored.

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Wipf and Stock Publishers, June 2020, 7″x10″ 192 pages

Also available in eBook form

“Professors of Koine Greek have too quickly assumed either that the Erasmian pronunciation was historically accurate or that reconstructing the pronunciation of the first century is impossible. Zachariou deftly exposes the groundless nature of both suppositions.”

— Dr. Daniel R. Streett

“Dr. Zachariou’s unveiling of some of the forces at work historically and currently in academia to hold on to Erasmus’s theory should lead to self-evaluation, especially for Bible scholars who are slow to recognize the need for and value of change in relation to this topic.”

DR. DAVID S. HASSELBROOK

Pastor of Messiah Lutheran Church, Missoula, Montana; author of Studies in New Testament Lexicography

“Zachariou expertly illumines this history and charts the path toward the recovery of the historical pronunciation of ancient Greek in the modern academy.”

DR. MARK DUBIS

Professor of Biblical Studies, Union University

“Thanks to Zachariou’s work, students and instructors of Greek can now have an analysis of the evolution of the Greek phonological system from Classical Greek to Koine and down to the present. Linguistic comparisons show that the current pronunciation of Greek legitimizes its use not only for learning post-Classical Greek, but also Classical Greek.”

DR. SANTIAGO CARBONELL

Professor of Greek, Department de Cultura Clàssica, IES Cotes Baixes, Spain

“The evidence against Erasmus is overwhelming, but academic institutions and their teachers have been slow to abandon the inaccurate and unhelpful ways handed down to them. As the tide slowly begins to turn, many will want an accessible reference work that demonstrates the weaknesses of Erasmus and the evidence that points to a truly Greek pronunciation of Greek. Dr. Zachariou has produced just such a work. Highly recommended.”

DR. CONSTANTINE R. CAMPBELL

Senior Vice President of Global Content, Daily Bread Ministries, formerly Professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School; author of Advances in the Study of Greek

“Zachariou has spent decades teaching Greek successfully, and this book helpfully brings his insights to the aid of students and teachers. As a fellow Greek teacher, I recommend this book to anyone who loves the New Testament.”

DR. JOSEPH CASTLEBERRY

President, Northwest University

“This should prove an indispensable textbook for seminaries and colleges teaching NT Greek. Quite a few readers should profit from its fine presentation with excellent examples illustrating the discussion.”

DR. CHRYS C. CARAGOUNIS

Professor of New Testament Exegesis, Lund University, Sweden; author of The Development of Greek and the New Testament: Morphology, Syntax, Phonology, and Textual Transmission

“By building upon the latest research and compiling the pertinent evidence, Zachariou argues cogently for the antiquity of the “Modern” Greek pronunciation, and convincingly shows what a hazardous travesty it is to replace this historical pronunciation with an ‘Erasmian’ one. Zachariou’s work serves as a necessary corrective, and is an important and timely contribution to the field.”

DR. JODY A. BARNARD

Professor of New Testament Greek, UK; author of The Mysticism of Hebrews

“Dr. Zachariou’s clear explanations make this book a valuable learning aid both to the beginning Greek student and to the established scholar who would like to switch from Erasmian pronunciation to an accurate Historical Greek Pronunciation.”

DR. GEORGE GUNN

Professor of New Testament Greek, Shasta Bible College and Graduate School, Redding, California

“Through careful historical and linguistic work Zachariou makes a compelling case that Hellenistic Greek pronunciation is much closer to that of modern Greek than it is to the artificial construct of Erasmus. Highly recommended for every student and professor of Greek!”

DR. DANIEL R. STREETT

Associate Professor of Biblical Studies, Houston Baptist University

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