John Theophilus Desaguliers: A Natural Philosopher, Engineer and Freemason in Newtonian England

In the Seminar "The Pseudepigrapha and Christian Origins" of the "Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas", chaired from 2000 to 2006 by Professors James H. Charlesworth (Princeton) and Gerbern S. Oegema (McGill), the relation between the Pseudepigrapha and the New Testament has been discussed systematically and intensively in a way never seen before. The Pseudepigrapha investigated included the Old Testament ones and those found in the Qumran as well as the Pseudepigrapha of the New Testament and the ones used in the Early Church. The seminar and its participants, who were all internally renowned experts from around the world, have focused on the use, adaptation, reinterpretation and further development of non-canonical traditions (except for Philo, Josephus, the Essene and early Rabbinic writings) in the canonical writings of Early Christianity. The seminar has met in total five times in various locations, while systematically being arranged around the following topics: The Pseudepigrapha and the Synoptic Gospels, the Gospel of John, the Epistles of Paul, the Other New Testament Writings, and the Revelation of John.