In 1954, Harvard hired him to teach New Testament studies.
Dr. Joseph Fitzmyer, professor emeritus of New Testament studies at Catholic University in Washington, hailed it as a significant discovery if it does indeed refer to Jesus of Nazareth.
Griesbach studied at Halle (then belonging to Prussia) under J.S. Semler, and from 1775 until his death he was professor of New Testament studies at the University of Jena.
He wrote or contributed to a dozen volumes in the fields of philosophy of religion, comparative religion, and New Testament studies.
"It's obviously an important find," said Carl R. Holladay, professor of New Testament studies at the Candler School of Theology at Emory University.
Christians read the Old Testament as Part 1 and the New Testament as Part 2 of the Bible, said Dr. Amy-Jill Levine, the Carpenter professor of New Testament studies at Vanderbilt University Divinity School.
Dr. Amy-Jill Levine, the Carpenter professor of New Testament studies at Vanderbilt University Divinity School, said she was concerned about the assertion that Jews and Christians learned from the same Old Testament.
Darrell L. Bock, a professor of New Testament studies at Dallas Theological Seminary, sees "The Da Vinci Code" not merely as an effort to undermine traditional Christian belief but also to "redefine Christianity and the history of Christianity".
Echoing others, Darrell L. Bock, senior research professor of New Testament studies at Dallas Theological Seminary, said in an interview that "my wife" could be a metaphorical reference to "the church," which in the Bible the apostle Paul calls "the bride" of Christ.
Among them are some prominent figures who have dealt with issues in Jewish-Christian relations, like the Rev. Krister Stendahl, a professor emeritus at Harvard Divinity School; Amy-Jill Levine, a professor of New Testament studies at Vanderbilt University; and Rabbi Irving Greenberg, chairman of the United States Holocaust Memorial Council.
Certainly most people would find it hard to think of many career applications for a Master's in Greek drama (Nottingham), death and immortality (Lampeter), Buddhist studies (Bristol), English language and literature before 1525 (King's College, London) or old testament studies (Glasgow and St Andrews).
