Two Squalls: Mark and John
Posted: Tue Jun 09, 2020 5:03 pm
Hello everyone --
In examining another piece on another Site, I had reason to think about the Two Squalls, where "...the wind was against them". The Passages have figured prominently in what I've written. As I read them through again in the last few days I became aware of a certain tension. I would say my "Spidey Sense" was on alert but someone else has trademarked that phrase so I won't use it. There is a Swerve in this entire Operation.
Mark 4: 35 - 38 (RSV):
[35] On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, "Let us go across to the other side."
[36] And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him.
[37] And a great storm of wind arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already filling.
[38] But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care if we perish?"
There are Key Phrases throughout this Passage:
A. "Let us cross to the other side": Skip these Sections if you wish. To many, "Boat on the Sea of Galilee/Tiberias" means just that. Not to me. Antonia is the "Boat". "Crossing over" means that Priests are moving from the Temple to Antonia and vice-versa through a Tunnel. See Josephus for details.
B. "...just as he was": This phrase is an odd one. Moffatt translates it in John 4: 6 - "Jesus exhausted by the journey, sat down at the spring, just as he was." Perhaps it doesn't mean anything special. There is a Latin form used in various places but, here? I dunno.
C. "And other boats were with him": Here is the reason for the Post. During this particular event, there are boats <Plural>. We don't know how many but shall we agree that "boats" implies some agreeable people on the "water" (continuing their Symbolism) with Jesus?
D. "[37] And a great storm of wind arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already filling": This is either great Nonsense or Deep Symbolism [Hint: It ain't nonsense]. Jesus and everyone else cannot Read the Signs of a coming great storm? Further, the waves beat into the boat so the boat was already filling - "ALREADY FILLING?!??" From when? [Edit Note: "Already" is not in Moffatt and, I assume, not in others.]
E. "[38] But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care if we perish?": One of the most Radioactive verses in the NT. Waves are crashing into the boat and Jesus is asleep in the stern and on a cushion no less - a dry one, we would hope. Then, perhaps the most important phrase in the NT: "Are we to drown, for all you care?" Yikes!!!
Mark 6: 45 - 51 (Moffatt)
[45]Then he made the disciples at once embark in the boat and cross before him towards Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd;
[46]and after saying goodbye to them he went up the hill to pray.
[47]Now when evening came the boat was in the middle of the sea, and he was on the land alone ;
[48] but when he saw them buffeted as they rowed (for the wind was against them) he went to them about the fourth watch of the night walking on the sea. He meant to pass them,
[49]but when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost and shrieked aloud
[50] for they all saw him and were terrified. Then he spoke to them at once; " Courage," he said, " it is I, have no fear."
[51] And he got into the boat beside them, and the wind dropped. They were utterly astounded
A. "cross before him towards Bethsaida...": I have "Bethsaida" as "Bezetha" for all you Real Estate Types. Remember "Houston Street" in New York/Brooklyn is pronounced "House-Tonn Street" (Or "House-Tonn Skreek" f'ya wanna git Rill 'bout't.) YMMV.
B. "...he was on land alone" Here is the point of this again. For some reason, the Authors want to make it very distinct and noticed: Jesus is ALONE here - Being on the land while the disciples are in trouble is not enough. Jesus is alone.
C. "...about the fourth watch of the night". "Fourth Watch" is a Roman Military Term. I suppose Apogetix(r) would have it that by that time, the Jewish Three Watches would have been replaced by the Four Watches ("Could you have stayed awake one more hour (each of you?")).
D. "He meant to pass them..." YIKES and DOUBLE YIKES!!! Internal States Language Full Alert!!! He MEANT to pass them by?!??
E. "...they thought it was a ghost and shrieked aloud": A GHOST, eh? What does that gross violation of Jewish Thought imply about Jesus? Here's a reasonable interpretation: "The Jesus they saw should have already been killed." D-E-A-D...already. "Jesus" in the Past Tense. This Story is about something else entirely.
...But on to John:
John 6: 16 - 25 (RSV):
[16] When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea,
[17] got into a boat, and started across the sea to Caper'na-um. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them.
[18] The sea rose because a strong wind was blowing.
[19] When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near to the boat. They were frightened,
[20] but he said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid."
[21] Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.
[22] On the next day the people who remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone.
[23] However, boats from Tiber'i-as came near the place where they ate the bread after the Lord had given thanks.
[24] So when the people saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Caper'na-um, seeking Jesus.
[25] When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, "Rabbi, when did you come here?"
Not much in the way of Internal States here. This appears to be a compressed rewrite of the second Markan Passage above ("...and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going...) Notice, however, the LARGE interest in Jesus getting across the sea when it was known that he was NOT with his Disciples. There are certainly boats <Plural> but they form their flotilla after Jesus and the Disciples separate. [Edit Note: Mark has separate Stories here. KEY: Why would there be "Boats" <Plural> in one Story and a single boat in the second. Second, why would John feel the urgent need to repair what should be a non-existent problem in his single Story?]
This points to an Odd formation of Scripture. In John, there is no reason for Jesus to come to the Disciples. Big Wind - Big Deal. Jesus reassures the Disciples and, "Oh!! It's just Jesus walking on the water. Hi, JC! Good to see ya'. What's it like on the track out there?"
It's the appearance and necessity of the boats that make the comparison interesting between Mark and John.
Howard Teeple, Literary Origins of John, has a time with this verse 22:
S [Source]
On the morrow the crowd,
E [Editor]
the one having stood [s. "Singular"] on the other side of the sea,
S.
saw [pl. "Plural"] that
R [Redactor]
another small boat [ploiarion] was not there except one, and that
[R tries to make it more explicit that there was only one boat and Jesus was not in it, so he must have walked on water].
S
Jesus [arth. "Arthrous"] did not get into the boat [ploion] with his disciples, but his disciples went away alone.
Clearly, there is a Tension in the writing of these Passages and the tension is in the necessity and time of appearance of the BOATS. The descriptions of the two Stories in Mark cannot be as described. The artifice given in John is very Apologetic in view.
If the Stories are Symbolic rewrites - and they are - what is the importance of the boats?
More later, if there is any interest.
CW
In examining another piece on another Site, I had reason to think about the Two Squalls, where "...the wind was against them". The Passages have figured prominently in what I've written. As I read them through again in the last few days I became aware of a certain tension. I would say my "Spidey Sense" was on alert but someone else has trademarked that phrase so I won't use it. There is a Swerve in this entire Operation.
Mark 4: 35 - 38 (RSV):
[35] On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, "Let us go across to the other side."
[36] And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him.
[37] And a great storm of wind arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already filling.
[38] But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care if we perish?"
There are Key Phrases throughout this Passage:
A. "Let us cross to the other side": Skip these Sections if you wish. To many, "Boat on the Sea of Galilee/Tiberias" means just that. Not to me. Antonia is the "Boat". "Crossing over" means that Priests are moving from the Temple to Antonia and vice-versa through a Tunnel. See Josephus for details.
B. "...just as he was": This phrase is an odd one. Moffatt translates it in John 4: 6 - "Jesus exhausted by the journey, sat down at the spring, just as he was." Perhaps it doesn't mean anything special. There is a Latin form used in various places but, here? I dunno.
C. "And other boats were with him": Here is the reason for the Post. During this particular event, there are boats <Plural>. We don't know how many but shall we agree that "boats" implies some agreeable people on the "water" (continuing their Symbolism) with Jesus?
D. "[37] And a great storm of wind arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already filling": This is either great Nonsense or Deep Symbolism [Hint: It ain't nonsense]. Jesus and everyone else cannot Read the Signs of a coming great storm? Further, the waves beat into the boat so the boat was already filling - "ALREADY FILLING?!??" From when? [Edit Note: "Already" is not in Moffatt and, I assume, not in others.]
E. "[38] But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care if we perish?": One of the most Radioactive verses in the NT. Waves are crashing into the boat and Jesus is asleep in the stern and on a cushion no less - a dry one, we would hope. Then, perhaps the most important phrase in the NT: "Are we to drown, for all you care?" Yikes!!!
Mark 6: 45 - 51 (Moffatt)
[45]Then he made the disciples at once embark in the boat and cross before him towards Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd;
[46]and after saying goodbye to them he went up the hill to pray.
[47]Now when evening came the boat was in the middle of the sea, and he was on the land alone ;
[48] but when he saw them buffeted as they rowed (for the wind was against them) he went to them about the fourth watch of the night walking on the sea. He meant to pass them,
[49]but when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost and shrieked aloud
[50] for they all saw him and were terrified. Then he spoke to them at once; " Courage," he said, " it is I, have no fear."
[51] And he got into the boat beside them, and the wind dropped. They were utterly astounded
A. "cross before him towards Bethsaida...": I have "Bethsaida" as "Bezetha" for all you Real Estate Types. Remember "Houston Street" in New York/Brooklyn is pronounced "House-Tonn Street" (Or "House-Tonn Skreek" f'ya wanna git Rill 'bout't.) YMMV.
B. "...he was on land alone" Here is the point of this again. For some reason, the Authors want to make it very distinct and noticed: Jesus is ALONE here - Being on the land while the disciples are in trouble is not enough. Jesus is alone.
C. "...about the fourth watch of the night". "Fourth Watch" is a Roman Military Term. I suppose Apogetix(r) would have it that by that time, the Jewish Three Watches would have been replaced by the Four Watches ("Could you have stayed awake one more hour (each of you?")).
D. "He meant to pass them..." YIKES and DOUBLE YIKES!!! Internal States Language Full Alert!!! He MEANT to pass them by?!??
E. "...they thought it was a ghost and shrieked aloud": A GHOST, eh? What does that gross violation of Jewish Thought imply about Jesus? Here's a reasonable interpretation: "The Jesus they saw should have already been killed." D-E-A-D...already. "Jesus" in the Past Tense. This Story is about something else entirely.
...But on to John:
John 6: 16 - 25 (RSV):
[16] When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea,
[17] got into a boat, and started across the sea to Caper'na-um. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them.
[18] The sea rose because a strong wind was blowing.
[19] When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near to the boat. They were frightened,
[20] but he said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid."
[21] Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.
[22] On the next day the people who remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone.
[23] However, boats from Tiber'i-as came near the place where they ate the bread after the Lord had given thanks.
[24] So when the people saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Caper'na-um, seeking Jesus.
[25] When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, "Rabbi, when did you come here?"
Not much in the way of Internal States here. This appears to be a compressed rewrite of the second Markan Passage above ("...and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going...) Notice, however, the LARGE interest in Jesus getting across the sea when it was known that he was NOT with his Disciples. There are certainly boats <Plural> but they form their flotilla after Jesus and the Disciples separate. [Edit Note: Mark has separate Stories here. KEY: Why would there be "Boats" <Plural> in one Story and a single boat in the second. Second, why would John feel the urgent need to repair what should be a non-existent problem in his single Story?]
This points to an Odd formation of Scripture. In John, there is no reason for Jesus to come to the Disciples. Big Wind - Big Deal. Jesus reassures the Disciples and, "Oh!! It's just Jesus walking on the water. Hi, JC! Good to see ya'. What's it like on the track out there?"
It's the appearance and necessity of the boats that make the comparison interesting between Mark and John.
Howard Teeple, Literary Origins of John, has a time with this verse 22:
S [Source]
On the morrow the crowd,
E [Editor]
the one having stood [s. "Singular"] on the other side of the sea,
S.
saw [pl. "Plural"] that
R [Redactor]
another small boat [ploiarion] was not there except one, and that
[R tries to make it more explicit that there was only one boat and Jesus was not in it, so he must have walked on water].
S
Jesus [arth. "Arthrous"] did not get into the boat [ploion] with his disciples, but his disciples went away alone.
Clearly, there is a Tension in the writing of these Passages and the tension is in the necessity and time of appearance of the BOATS. The descriptions of the two Stories in Mark cannot be as described. The artifice given in John is very Apologetic in view.
If the Stories are Symbolic rewrites - and they are - what is the importance of the boats?
More later, if there is any interest.
CW