According to Dorstener Zeitung (about the only news source I could find) Martin Hengel has died today.
Einer der weltweit bedeutendsten Experten für die Literatur des Urchristentums und antiken Judentums, Prof. Martin Hengel, ist am Donnerstag in Tübingen gestorben. Der evangelische Theologe wurde 82 Jahre alt, teilte die Württembergische Landeskirche in Stuttgart mit.
Hengel’s conservative historian’s approach has always been consistent, and meticulously careful, and thereby generated fresh insights that a more cavalier approach would always be prone to overlook. It is astonishing now to think how much, to single out one example, he shifted poorly argued assumptions about Hellenism in the Second Temple period away from theory driven ideas towards evidence based descriptions, and a much richer picture of the complexities of real life.
Update: I see Jim West has also commented on the news, with photo.
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the first book of his i read was ‘crucifixion’. i was transfixed.
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