Amaneunsis

A person who writes down what is dictated; a copying secretary. Ancient letters were often dictated by the author and copied down by an amaneunsis. That at least some of Paul's letters may have been written this way is evident, e.g., in Rom 16:22 ("I, Tertius, who wrote down this letter, greet you in the Lord.")

What is less evident is the use of an amaneunsis in the letters of Peter. 1 Peter is recognized, together with Acts and Hebrews, as exhibiting the most higly literate works in the NT. Since Peter was a fisherman, it is unlikely that he could have written a letter with greater literary finesse than an educated apostle like Paul. The literary finesse is, most scholars argue, the work of an Amaneunsis.

Further Reading & Resources

Sanghwan Lee, "An Illiterate Fisherman and Impressive Letter: A Dialogue with Bart D. Ehrman," Journal of Greco-Roman Christianity and Judaism 17 (2021): 38-61. Pdf N 6 (Open on Phone)