philologians for Homer, of the philosophers for Plato or Pythagoras, their lectio of the authors was never able to create within an audience the same disposition to listen. One might, with better reason, compare the Christian lectio with the Buddhist or Islamic familiarity with the sacred texts, despite the many differences which should be attentively observed. Within the church the first group in which a continual and devout reading of the Bible can be found is probably that of the disciples of