Biblical Criticism & History Forum - earlywritings.com

Adam wrote:You failed to address whether you acknowledge GMark had underlying written sources, like in Aramaic possibly.

I think Mark had Matthew and Luke as sources. His grasp of Aramaic seems to have been weak, and he never uses an Aramaic word or phrase without providing a translation. I also tend to believe that without the discovery of additional ancient witnesses or the autographs themselves, the synoptic problem is insoluble. Not to say the correct solution hasn't been proposed, just that with the status quo no hypothesis can be proven or even accepted with any degree of confidence.

I agreed with you two years ago, after fruitless decades mulling it over.
However, I have since solved it. Not that anyone cares.

Adam wrote:

gmx wrote:Most scholars seem to accept a Roman provenance for the Gospel of Mark, regardless of their respective views on Markan priority.

Presumably these "most scholars" wrote before MacDonald proved that "Q" underlies GMark.

So from my "investigations", MacDonald's "supposed proof" is a long way shy of being accepted.

I've read some sections of the book (that are freely available), and I've been less than impressed. For example, MacDonald's presentation of the "striking" similarities between the respective prologues of Luke's (Gospel) and Papias' (Expositions) had me less than whelmed. While he directly quotes Luke in the right-side column, most of the supposed parallels in the left column are the author's explanatory commentary on Papias featuring one key Greek word, rather than direct quotes from Papias.

Ben C. Smith wrote:

Adam wrote:I'll pass on MacDonald. His Two Shipwrecked Gospels: Papias... is very expensive, have only read reviews and accessible Amazon clips.

Two words: Interlibrary Loan.

I can't imagine any public libraries in my state carrying this or similar books.

Ben means academic libraries. I'm eight miles from UCD (Republic of Davis) and a frequent visitor to the main library on campus. I used to have an alumni card, but years ago they cut off alumni from checking out books, so I ceased paying alumni dues. Maybe policy has changed, and with an alumni card I could check out books and could qualify for interlibrary loans as well. (Full disclosure: I have no University of California degrees. My A. A. is in Physics from Santa Rosa Junior College. My B. A. in History is from Sonoma State University. My two master's degrees are from Cal State Sacramento.)
Frankly, however, I am so disgusted with academia, this forum, and all other venues where I have tried to get heard, that I don't waste my time in research any more. I just fire off any missives to here and any Christian website that has not banned me yet.

I'm 73 now and not in good health. I'm putting my energies into firing salvoes at the world, whether the world is ready or not.

Adam wrote:
I'm 73 now and not in good health. .

I hope your health gets better bud.

, I am so disgusted with academia

That is a personal problem

They do like evidence, according to many here that think many biased theist would love to embrace your early witnesses/authors hypothesis. Academia is not as biased as many think.

perseusomega9 wrote:

Ben C. Smith wrote:

Adam wrote:I'll pass on MacDonald. His Two Shipwrecked Gospels: Papias... is very expensive, have only read reviews and accessible Amazon clips.

Two words: Interlibrary Loan.

I can't imagine any public libraries in my state carrying this or similar books.

In my state, the public libraries rarely if ever carry the books I desire, but they can get books from universities and seminaries in the state. Most of the books I request come from those sources.

Adam wrote:I agreed with you two years ago, after fruitless decades mulling it over.
However, I have since solved it. Not that anyone cares.

OK, in 100 words or less, what's "your" precis solution to the synoptic problem? I'm all internet ears...

gmx wrote:

Adam wrote:I agreed with you two years ago, after fruitless decades mulling it over.
However, I have since solved it. Not that anyone cares.

OK, in 100 words or less, what's "your" precis solution to the synoptic problem? I'm all internet ears...

I am not sure 100 words would be enough even for the abstract of an article introducing the book which begins the series which lays out a full, compelling solution to the synoptic problem.

Thank you, Benl
I'm off to a medical appointment shortly, but I'll endeavor to meet gmx's terms. Hey, it's just 7 names and 7 sources, after all. Maybe dates for some, who knows what I can squeeze within 100 words?