In this highly acclaimed work, Bruce Winter gathers for the first time all the available evidence on the first-century sophistic movement from two major centres of learning in the East. Together with the writings of the contemporary Hellenistic Jews, Philo and Paul, he discusses all the protagonists and antagonists of this movement in Alexandria and Corinth.

This study provides important insights into the problems that this elitist movement created for Diaspora Jews in Alexandria and for Christians in Corinth. It also traces the origins of the Second Sophistic in the reign of Nero.

Substantially revised and including a new foreword by G. W. Bowersock, this volume is also supported by a web site - www.sophist.info - featuring additional archaeological evidence and photographs.

"This is a remarkable and valuable study... Winter's sketch of first-century sophistry gives us a clearer picture of Paul's rhetorically adept opponents and provides further important historical context for the growing body of rhetorical studies of Paul's letters."
- Journal of Biblical Literature