The first euhemerizer was an author of Logia

[Giuseppe]

Earl Doherty, with his insistence on authenticity of Q, and Martijn Linssen, with his insistence on Thomas's priority, could be both correct on a point: the first who euhemerized Jesus was simply writing a collection of sayings of Jesus, very much similar to Thomas:

Jesus said: ...
Jesus said: ...
Jesus said: ...

Note that also Richard Carrier claims that Jesus descended on earth, before his death in outer space. How? By appearing in visions and hallucinations.

Giving instructions.

Hence, there is at least a particular sense according to which we can say that the inventor of Christianity was the author of Logia of the Lord Jesus. This person could even precede Paul. Afterall, he was simply putting on writings the sayings spoken by a ghost on earth.

Papias could be a witness of the existence of these Logia.

Then "Mark" (author) would have simply organized in a narrative the collection of sayings. But without that previous tool, hardly "Mark" could work as he has done.

If Mark had not written his story, then the Christians would have continued to believe that Jesus said these sayings on earth, but as a spiritual Revealer appeared under Herod and Pilate. "Technically" it was all true.

The miracle of "Mark" was to represent that same Jesus not as a spiritual Revealer, but as a mere humble (even fugitive) rabbi. In this way, a humble rabbi had to be a mere human.

That process is called "euhemerization". Isn't it?

[Giuseppe]

The Naassene Hymn assumes just that Jesus descended on earth to reveal these sayings. Not to be crucified (the Crucifixion had to be fulfilled later, in outer space).

And Jesus said: O Father, see!
[Behold] the struggle still of ills on earth!
Far from Thy Breath away she wanders!
She seeks to flee the bitter Chaos,
And knows not how she shall pass through.
Wherefore, send me, O Father!
Seals in my hands, I will descend;
Through Æons universal will I make a Path;
Through Mysteries all I'll open up a Way!
And Forms of Gods will I display;
The secrets of the Holy Path I will hand on,
And call them Gnosis.

[Giuseppe]

The apologists defend the authenticity of Q because this would prove that the author of the sayings was a mere humble preacher.

Really, Q (or Thomas) would prove only the existence of a cult of a celestial instructor named Jesus.

It was "Mark", and only "Mark", who was able to convert the image of the author of these sayings, from a spiritual being to a mere prophet.

Technically speaking, therefore, only "Mark" is worthy of being called THE EUHEMERIZER.

[Giuseppe]

But the original layer of Ascension of Isaiah was without a Jesus author of Logia. His Jesus does only a Toccata and Fugue. Without even the time of saying "bye!"

This would exclude the possibility that the Logia could come from a Jesus being appeared on earth before his death in outer space.

From the other hand, "Mark", by his Messianic Secret, derives from the original Ascension of Isaiah the feature of the absolute secrecy (and relative humble appearance) of Jesus in this world.

Hence, a possibility is that the Logia were there before Mark, but meant as spoken by the Risen Jesus.
This possibility is evoked by the same original Ascension of Isaiah, where it is described the earthly permanence of the Risen Jesus in the role of spiritual Instructor of humanity.

"Mark" would have reversed the order of the events: he would have placed before the Jesus Instructor and after the Risen Jesus.

[Giuseppe]

A possibility is that "Mark" had before himself two different traditions:

• a tradition, represented by the Logia, where Jesus was described as a celestial Instructor on earth, but without death and resurrection

• a tradition, represented by the original layer of the Ascension of Isaiah, where Jesus was described as author of a heroic Toccata and fugue in the lower heavens (with at most the sayings said by the Risen Jesus on this earth)

"Mark" merged the two traditions, by "carnalizing" the skeleton of the Ascension of Isaiah with the Logia.

[Giuseppe]

I quote myself here:

A possibility is that "Mark" had before himself two different traditions:

• a tradition, represented by the Logia, where Jesus was described as a celestial Instructor on earth, but without death and resurrection

• a tradition, represented by the original layer of the Ascension of Isaiah, where Jesus was described as author of a heroic Toccata and fugue in the lower heavens (with at most the sayings said by the Risen Jesus on this earth)

"Mark" merged the two traditions, by "carnalizing" the skeleton of the Ascension of Isaiah with the Logia.

...because I think that it is to resolve this riddle that Earl Doherty was so fixed with Q, at the cost of appearing so conservative as scholar (usually, an attribute of the apologist scholars).