The Letter of Mara bar Sarapion to his son preserved in a single Syriac manuscript (7th. cent. CE) still speaks to its readers, evocatively depicting the dramatic situation of a nobleman imprisoned after the Roman capture of Samosata, capital of Commagene. The letter is best known today for a passage on the wise king of the Jews, which may be one of the earliest pagan testimonies concerning Jesus Christ. Ongoing controversy over the letter s date, nature, and purpose have, however, led to the widespread neglect of this intriguing document. In the present volume, Merz and Tieleman have brought together cutting-edge research from an interdisciplinary team of leading experts that significantly advances our appreciation of the letter and its historical context.