Starting to Have Strong Doubts About Ariel Sabar's Timeline

[Secret Alias]

Where is the evidence that Morton Smith is gay. Please point to one piece of evidence? He sponsored a devoutly Christian Palestinian refugee who married within three years of coming to the United States.

[Secret Alias]

Why do you guys inevitably make appeals to "trust"? "I trust person X more than person Y." Must be religious thinking. Provide me with evidence please.

[Secret Alias]

And another thing I don't get. So in 1952 - 3 Smith declared this:

The Reverend Morton Smith travelled widely throughout the Greek mainland and islands and visited Constantinople his search for MSS. of St. Isidore of Pelusium, Maximus the Confessor, and other mediaeval writers. He met with most gratifying success, and before his departure at the end of August had recorded, photographed, and studied a very large body of material.

Just curious from this:

1. that he still considered himself or was considered a man of the cloth. When did he allegedly "lose his faith"? Hurry up 1958 is approaching quickly.
2. are you suggesting that this was all a lie. That he wasn't looking for these manuscripts? This was all a set up for his plan in 1958 to plant this manuscript at Mar Saba?

Sounds to me like a priest or some kind of religious person looking for manuscripts. Of course I am untrustworthy.

[Secret Alias]

So unless Stephen Goranson comes up with something he's admitting there is no evidence. He just "trusts" Ariel Sabar found something he couldn't put into print. Fine. I did ask Sabar for an opportunity to look at his research and here is what he said:

To your question: I do extensive research and reporting for feature stories and inevitably a lot doesn’t make it in, though the published story captures what my editors and I see as the most significant information. Like most news organizations, The Atlantic doesn’t let us share outtakes of our work.

Nothing about there being some evidence which he couldn't reveal the source for. Only aesthetic choices. Believe what you want.

[Secret Alias]

Am I one of the best researchers? Look what I found: https://www.ascsa.edu.gr/archives/uploa ... 951-52.pdf

The Rev. Morton Smith, Professor at Brown University, another Fulbright Fellow, is devoting the winter and spring to the manuscripts of Isidore of Pelusium. He has been joined recently by his assistant, Mr. Anthanase Madjukoff, who is also staying at the School. Professor William Wallace of Toronto arrived in January with Mrs. Wallace and their three children, planning to stay until May. He is renewing his familiarity with Greece in general and is continuing his study of the coinage of Euboea.

Wasn't some clandestine love affair he was keeping from everyone. They weren't "shacking up" in a no tell motel with mirrors on the ceiling. As Tselikas asks, how did Morton Smith engage all with all these monks in remote locations not speaking Greek. Now we know.

[Peter Kirby]

Am I one of the best researchers?

When I compare what I have read by Sabar in The Atlantic with the posts from Huller, I also have doubts about Sabar.

[Peter Kirby]

Where is the evidence that Morton Smith is gay.

Any news on the "coming out" letter comment in private correspondence or is that also a mum's-the-word source?

[Secret Alias]

Of course two men can have an affair. They could be both be involved at work or outside of work. But surely the Atlantic piece is written in such a way that it sounds like their relationship wasn't "sanctioned" by any oversight. There was oversight. Everyone knew who this guy was. Wasn't a secret lover.

[Peter Kirby]

"In the late 1970s, Smith had a brief relationship with an openly gay Columbia student."

Huller's always been very open with what he's documented. Names are named. Otherwise there's too much room for doubt.

[Peter Kirby]

And as the t-shirt of my brother-in-law says:

"Define relationship."