Apocryphicity

On Sunday I will be heading off to the US for a research trip. I have been collecting manuscripts of the two Syriac versions of the Life of Mary: an eastern one edited by E.A.W. Budge in 1899, and a western one still unedited but discussed here and there by a few previous scholars. My interest, of course, is in the material incorporated into these texts from the Infancy Gospel of Thomas.

The goal, ultimately, is to construct a critical edition of the Syriac tradition of this text. To date only two manuscripts of the Syriac IGT have been published. These two, plus two more, have been collated in my article that should appear in Apocrypha some time soon. Of the western Life of Mary, which incorporates all of IGT as one of its six “books,” there are thirteen known manuscripts. One of these is at Harvard and has not yet been photographed (thus the need for the trip). Of the eastern Life of Mary, which contains some episodes from IGT, there are 23 manuscripts. Two have been published (by Budge), and several are probably lost forever. One is at Harvard, one at Princeton, and one at Union Theological Seminary; all of these have to be photographed.

The US is not exactly Mt. Sinai, but I am excited about the trip, especially since I’ll be incorporating some site-seeing along the way and bringing my two girls for company. It is exciting also because these are probably the last manuscripts I need to finish a project that has occupied much of my time over the last few years. What next? Ethiopic? Um, no thanks.

In October, I will be participating in a workshop in Winnipeg on the Acts of Pilate/Gospel of Nicodemus cycle of texts ("Editing the Acts of Pilate in Early Christian Languages: Theory and Practice"). If interested in this enterprise, you can check out the web site dedicated to the workshop.

Looking again at traditions of John the Baptist, I came across two versions of the Prayer of John the Baptist in a few Syriac manuscripts. Does anyone know anything about this? (oh, I will look into it further, but I thought I'd post on it regardless). Here it is:

Longer version:

Now, the first prayer of John to his disciples: “Father, show me your son. Son, show me your spirit. Holy Spirit grant me wisdom through your strength.” And some say it is this: “Holy Father, consecrate me through your strength and make known the glory of your excellence and show me your son and fill me with your spirit which has received light through your knowledge."

Shorter version: 

The first prayer of St. John the Baptist to his disciples: "Holy Father, guard your strength and show us your glory and make your son known to us and fill us, my Lord, with your spirit which gives light through your knowledge."

I have started some work on apocryphal traditions of John the Baptist. One of the texts I am consulting is the Life of John the Baptist ascribed to Serapion (read the text HERE). The text was published almost a century ago and tends to be overlooked in CA scholarship. But it has some interesting, and bizarre, traditions within it. Just to whet your appetite, here is a scene about the amazing abilities of the head of John the Baptist:

But immediately after the head of the blessed John let the locks of its hair rise from the dish, and it flew to the middle of the convivial room before the king and his high officials. In that very moment the roof of the house was opened and the head of John flew in the air…As to his head, it flew over Jerusalem, and cried for three years to the town, saying: "It is not lawful for you, O Herod, to marry the wife of your brother while he is still alive." After it had cried for three years, it went to all the world shouting and proclaiming the horrible crime of Herod, and repeating the words: "It is not lawful for you, O Herod, to marry the wife of your brother while he is still alive." Fifteen years after it had been cut off it ceased proclaiming, and rested on the town of Horns. The faithful who were in that town took it and buried it with great pomp. A long time after, a church was built on it, which is still standing in our time.