Greek Monks Who Thought the Letter to Theodore was in the Mar Saba Monastery Before Morton Smith Arrives

[Secret Alias]

In a snipit view from Google Books I see Seraphim was peripherally involved with Smith while he ordered books:

"Never revisit a place that fascinated you when you were young - you discover not only its changes, but your own. Much at Jerusalem, of course, was the same. Father Kyriakos was genial and wise as ever. Many of my other friends in the Patriarchate seemed almost unchanged. But as I whizzed out to Mar Saba by taxi (twenty minutes from the city along the new military road) I foresaw what was coming ... but as a guest of the Patriarch I was under no obligation to attend. I soon made my cell, enjoying the solitude and the silence for which the monastery had been founded. My old friend, Archimandrite Seraphim, was now in charge and saw to it that the traditional order was maintained. Thus one tranquil, silent day followed another as I devoted myself to locating, reading and cataloguing the manuscripts." (p. 10)

There are two to three other references to Seraphim.

""But the other scholars, too, had intuition. And anyhow, in historical questions one has to decide from observable evidence and rational arguments. So I decided to accept as a working hypothesis the likelihood that the letter was written by Clement. With this result of the study, late in 1960, it seemed time to announce the discovery. The annual meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature at the end of that year was an appropriate place for the announcement and the program committee devoted an evening session to my report on the text and another report on it by Professor Pierson Parker of General Theological Seminary" (p. 30)

[Secret Alias]

He clearly told Seraphim what he discovered the day he discovered it. "Old friend." You would share your discovery with an old friend. He mentions him again on page 30 but I can't read what he says. Is it worth buying again for $16? No one has this book?

UPDATE. It's a photo taken by Morton Smith



They were close. Smith told his friend about the discovery within minutes undoubtedly. You're telling me Seraphim wouldn't know if the text was already in the library.

[Secret Alias]

Seraphim kept extensive journals during his 70 years at Mar Saba. Seraphim thought the discovery was authentic and was there in 1958 when Morton Smith was going through the catalog. No one has ever gone through Seraphim's journals before 1958, during 1958 - 1960 AND for 1976.

[StephenGoranson]

Peter Kirby wrote above, Mon Apr 15, 2024 4:33 pm, in part:
"And Smith had access to the library, right."

Secret Alias replied, Mon Apr 15, 2024 4:35 pm:
"Not directly. They brought the books out to him."

I, StephenGoranson, ask:
Isn't that false?

[Secret Alias]

I just produced the context that I said that. He went with someone and together the books were brought out to him. Don't shoot the messenger listen to the message. You're world is crumbling before you.

[Secret Alias]

Here.

A receipt from the transfer, signed by Dourvas among others, has recently surfaced.7 The paleographer Agamemnon Tselikas discovered it in the archives of the Patriarchal Library in Jerusalem. The document describes the letter of Clement as “unpublished and without any doubts about its authenticity.”

Read it. Read it over and over and over again. Even with that you won't acknowledge what it says.

[StephenGoranson]

From my copy of the G. Smith and B. Landau book, page 22,
(and quoted above by Secret Alias » Mon Apr 15, 2024 4:40 pm....!)

"With a monk by his side—chaperones are often required when looking at manuscripts at Greek Orthodox libraries—each morning except Sunday Smith would ascend a series of stairs that led from his quarters to the old tower. His escort would unlock the door, then wait patiently as he sifted through stacks of books packed onto bookshelves and strewn across the floor."

Therefore, Smith did enter the Mar Saba tower library. After all, that is where he said he left the book.

[Secret Alias]

You're just ignoring all evidence I just cited. Reminds me of a song. I used to love in a room full of mirrors all I could see was me. I took my Spirit and I smashed my mirrors. Now the whole world is here for me to see. Seraphim and the monastery thought the discovery was authentic. Keep distracting yourself.

Seraphim and the monastery thought the discovery was authentic.

Kallistos and the Jerusalem Patriarchate thought the discovery was authentic.

It all changed when forgery people started misrepresenting the contents of the text and Morton Smith bringing up homosexuality.

You can see the very moment it started with Quesnell's conversation with Kallistos on June 1 1983. That's when the whole "danger to Christianity" narrative was first brought up to the Patriarchate.

So you guys won by convincing the Patriarchate it was a danger.

[Secret Alias]

Oh by the way. Seraphim and the monastery thought the discovery was authentic.

[Secret Alias]

When Smith brought up the discovery to his "old friend" Seraphim likely within 24 hours of his discovery how do you propose he duped the whole monastery into forgetting the book was never in the library? Mass hypnosis? Or maybe they were on it?