Compare and Contrast

Kevin Wilson at Blue Cord [defunct blog] has raised some interesting and quite valid points regarding my Discoveries and Scholarship post, prompted by and added to by Charles Halton at Awilum [also defunct].

Charles nicely summarizes my point and objects to part of it with this: “One might argue that the re-evaluations have not gone far enough, fair enough. But, we see similar methodology in examining sources of documents in other ANE literature–it’s not like the Old Testament is the only ancient document that undergoes this sort of analysis.” It is definitely true that such examinations are happening now more often, seemingly exactly under the influence of Hallo’s contextual approach. I applaud this and want more of it. The in-depth examination of ancient texts, their language, their structure, and their own literary and historical context is imperative before any comparison can be made with other texts, including the Hebrew Bible. But such very welcome studies are also all very recent. Of course, the Hebrew Bible, with which western culture has been much longer familiar, has had many more such studies done, many of now-questionable value, and much solely of interest to studies on the history of scholarship. From this angle come my objections to certain fundamental elements of academic orthodoxy in Biblical studies, but in particular more widely to a certain mindset of or preference for complication over simplicity.

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Two Pursuits

A voice said ‘Follow, follow’ : and I rose
       And followed far into the dreamy night,
       Turning my back upon the pleasant light.
It led me where the bluest water flows,
And would not let me drink : where the corn grows
       I dared not pause, but went uncheered by sight
       Or touch : until at length in evil plight
It left me, wearied out with many woes.
Some time I sat as one bereft of sense :
       But soon another voice from very far
              Called, ‘Follow, follow’ : and I rose again.
       Now on my night has dawned a blessed star :
              Kind and steady hands my sinking steps sustain,
And will not leave me till I shall go hence.

Christina Rossetti
12 April 1849

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Discoveries and Scholarship

No this is not about the discovery of the Ark of the Covenant, Solomon’s Decoder Ring, the Essene Secret Handshake Manual, or the Gospel of That Guy That Sorta Heard Jesus at the One of the Sermons on One of the the Mounts But Was Too Far Away To Understand What He Said And Consequently Got Everything Quite Entirely Wrong But Has A Following Anyway And Is Now Quite Wealthy.

As part of a very interesting project that I began some time ago, I’ve been looking into the publication dates for various ideas related to Biblical Studies, the dates for the decipherment of ancient languages and their writing systems, the dates for the discovery of important ancient texts, and so on. One of the most intriguing things that this investigation continues to reveal is that many ideas taken for granted in Biblical Studies have turned out to be actually anything but critical in origin. Many such, however, had become academic orthodoxy before some very important and relevant discoveries, namely nearly all of them, which should really have called into question a number of these orthodoxies. That, however, never happened.

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Two Ways in Irenaeus

“For the way of all those who see is single and upward, illumined by the heavenly light, but the ways of those who do not see are many, dark and divergent; the one leads to the Kingdom of Heaven, uniting man to God, while the others lead down to death, separating man from God. Thus it is necessary for you and for all who are concerned about their salvation to make [your] way by faith, without deviation, surely and resolutely, lest, in slacking, you remain in gross desires, or, erring, wander far from the right [path]” (On the Apostolic Preaching, 1; tr. John Behr).

Note what seems to be a reference here in Irenaeus of Lyon’s work On the Apostolic Preaching to the teaching concerning the Two Ways, as found in Barnabas and Didache. As this is a “summary memorandum” (λαιωδης υπομνημα, 1), in Irenaeus’ words, of the Apostolic Preaching, the related expansions of each, the Way of Life versus the Way of Death, are curtailed, and the connection with the Two Ways material as we know it more fully from Barnabas and Didache is implicit rather than explicit. But it is striking that this is the beginning of Irenaeus’ work on the Apostolic Preaching, being preceded solely by the address to the recipient. Surely the two draw from the same source, and indicate that this was the initial instruction for catechumens. As both Barnabas and Didache indicate, the Two Ways was considered to be a part of the traditional instruction, the “Apostolic Preaching,” originating with the Apostles themselves. This, one of the earliest works preserved to us in our literary inheritance of sub-Apostolic Christianity, clearly shows its reliance upon a body of long-standing tradition, taking for granted that a reader will recognize the reference to the “ways” as related also in Barnabas and Didache.

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The Rose

There once was a beautiful, wise and courageous woman, the daughter of a wise and wealthy father. Her favorite pastime was to tend her rose garden, which was well-known for the beauty of form and size and scent of its roses. A day came when she plucked, from among these most beautiful and perfect roses, the most perfect rose. Its shape and the softness of its petals brought to mind all the beautiful things in the world. Its scent was strong and perfect, seeming to lift cares from a troubled mind. She carried her rose with her into the streets of the city in which she lived, wishing to share such bounty with all her friends, her neighbors, and any strangers she might meet. Everyone loved the rose, except for a few who were envious of its perfection. These people surrounded the wise and beautiful woman, and demanded the rose of her. With a gentle smile, she handed the rose to the most violent among them. They took the beautiful rose, perfect in form and scent, and viciously tore at it, ripping it apart with their hands, stomping on it with their feet, wishing to eliminate it entirely. The wise and beautiful woman stood to the side, watching with her wise and gentle smile, now seeming to be a trifle sadder for the solitary tear that slid down her cheek. When the rage of the mob was ended, all stood quiet, as though stunned. The wise and beautiful woman stepped forward and quietly said, “Now, smell your hands, smell the scent of the perfect rose which you have released for all to enjoy.” Indeed, the scent was even stronger now, even seemingly more perfect. It wafted on a gentle breeze throughout the city. The mob, ashamed, went their ways, and the wise and beautiful woman went home to tend her garden.

That rose is Christ.

I wrote this on Lazarus Saturday (the Saturday before Holy Week), 3 April 1999. At the time I’d been compiling a number of lectionary indices (see the Lectionaries menu, above), and for that Lenten season, read the various appointed readings daily for various Western (Roman Catholic, Revised Common Lectionary) and Eastern (Coptic, Greek, Georgian, Armenian, and Syrian) lectionary traditions that I had collected by that point. The Coptic Orthodox lectionary was the strongest influence, I think, with the Georgian and Armenian, both representative of the practice of the Jerusalem church ages ago, in a tie for a close second. By Lazarus Saturday in the Eastern calendar, this metaphorical story had distilled itself, and I sat down at an outdoor table at a local pub and wrote it out in the space of just a few minutes. It was a truly remarkable experience.

Subconsciously, before writing my odd little metaphoric tale, the readings had obviously gotten to me. The pattern of suffering as purifying, enriching, strengthening, even divinizing, was not something I was consciously thinking of. I hadn’t, at that time, read much in Patristics. Still, those readings worked in an unexpected way. I mentioned above that the Coptic lectionary was probably the strongest influence. In fact, I came to look forward to my Coptic readings every day, moreso than to any of the others. The Coptic lectionary is deftly arranged, opting for a very skilled, highly literate thematic arrangement of readings related to the part of the year in which they fall. One can’t help but think that the Copts are well-familiar with suffering. They learned a secret about suffering and passed it on in their lectionary: to shine, one must burn.

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Armenian Ani

I’ve just been enjoying a beautifully illustrated site about the abandoned Armenian royal city of Ani, unfortunately located in Turkey. It’s a somber thing to read about the destruction of such beautiful monuments, some still completely intact and in use until 1920, due to pogroms, earthquakes, official policies of neglect or “restoration,” and, of course, Muslim religious iconoclasm. Separated by a small river from today’s nation of Armenia, it must be heartbreaking for the Armenians to see from the other bank the continued destruction of such a magnificent heritage: an ancient city still alive in the early part of the twentieth century is now a field of rubble.

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A Shepherd in South Lebanon

It was late summer when He and three other men first walked upon that road yonder. It was evening, and He stopped and stood there at the end of the pasture.

I was playing upon my flute, and my flock was grazing all around me. When He stopped I rose and walked over and stood before Him.

And He asked me, “Where is the grave of Elijah? Is it not somewhere near this place?”

And I answered Him, “It is there, Sir, underneath that great heap of stones. Even unto this day every passerby brings a stone and places it upon the heap.”

And He thanked me and walked away, and His friends walked behind Him.

And after three days Gamaliel who was also a shepherd, said to me that the man who had passed by was a prophet in Judea; but I did not believe him. Yet I thought of that man for many a moon.

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