The Importance of New Testament Background Studies in Biblical Research: The “Evil Eye” in Luke 11:34 as a Case Study

The study of NT background is a pursuit that should not be taken
lightly. It is crucial to understand the cultural and literary milieu of
the events and people of the NT. This can only be accomplished by a
knowledge of the biblical and cognate languages, a mastery of the relevant
literature, a study of archaeology, and a basic knowledge of the
ancient social world. After a survey of these topics, a test case is presented
in which the concept of the evil eye mentioned in Luke 11:34 is
explained.