Monday, 24 June 2019

Biblical Brouhaha: Oxford Scholar Accused of Dealing in Manuscripts


Papyrology, new nail-biting
 installment of long-running
controversy (Daily Beast)
Newly surfaced documents raise questions about the purported 'First Century Mark' manuscript and an Oxford scholar is allegedly involved (Candida Moss, ' Did Oxford Scholar Secretly Sell Bible Fragment to Hobby Lobby Family?' Daily Beast 24th June 2019).

A supposed first-century antiquity is part of a collection at Oxford, but paperwork reportedly suggests it was somehow sold by a professor. Eh? The allegations seem to come from Michael Holmes, Director of the Museum of the Bible’s Scholar’s Initiative (more discussion of the invoice by Elijah Hixson here).  Let us hope the scholar involved presents the evidence to show that he did not do what his accusers suggest...

I've not seen anyone mention one other factor that adds to the saleability of this particular fragment of the text to the Evangelical MoB:
I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan [...] Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” And immediately they left their nets and followed him.
On further study (as I and others have already discussed), the fragment also seems now not to have been first century at all. The background of this dispute and how that confusion arose is nicely presented by Bart Ehrman here.

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