Re: OT More pens (was Re: Phoneme winnowing continues)

Mark J. Reed sikyal:

> > On the number of sources, note that most (not all) scholars
> > believe that Matthew and Luke incorporate material from both Mark and a
> > source they call Q, which some believe was similar to the Gnostic Gospel
> > of Thomas.
>
> Okay, if we have Mark, Q, and John, that's three sources, which is
> closer to four than one.
You forget Thomas, which is roughly as old as Q, but extremely different.
Thomas actually resembles John (the latest canonical gospel) much more
than any of the 3 synoptics, a fact that's very interesting to me.
There's also Paul, who gives us precious little information but does
assert with little fanfare that Jesus lived, died, rose again, and
instituted communion.

That adds up to 5 independent, early sources: Q, Thomas, Mark, Paul.

> Again, though, they're not necessarily > primary, independent, or
> disinterested ones. :)
If one accepts only primary, independent, and disinterested sources for
history, one is obliged to get rid of 95% of ancient history, and a good
deal of what comes afterwards.

Jesse S. Bangs jaspax@u.washington.edu
http://students.washington.edu/jaspax/
http://students.washington.edu/jaspax/blog

Jesus asked them, "Who do you say that I am?"

And they answered, "You are the eschatological manifestation of the ground
of our being, the kerygma in which we find the ultimate meaning of our
interpersonal relationship."

And Jesus said, "What?"