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

[Secret Alias]

Kallistos Dourvas

[StephenGoranson]

These photographs are not evidence that the Letter to Theodore nor the (unlisted) Voss book were at Mar Saba before Smith's stay in 1958.

[Secret Alias]

I found photos of established people who thought the book belonged in the Mar Saba library. Father Seraphim and Kallistos Dourvas. I've also ordered Father Seraphim's diary in Greek 50 Euros. Hoping to see if there are any references to the 1976 incident. Nice to attach a photo to a face. The evidence for their thinking the book was in the monastery before Morton Smith is found in Quentin Quesnell's diary. The first implicit, David Flusser's testimony that Seraphim didn't want to let the book leave with the party who came for it and the expectation he would have successfully demanded it back (as the rightful property of the monastery) and explicit, Kallistos Dourvas.

[StephenGoranson]

One suggested that there may have been an earlier mention, but, as far as I know, he never found such, at Mar Saba nor Jerusalem nor anywhere in the whole world--nor has anyone else, since.

The other just thought the book was Mar Saba property, which it was, in the sense of finders keepers, since 1958--though it was never listed in the earlier catalogues. The book, stripped of ownership locations (title page and spine).

Smith apparently didn't inform Mar Saba monks about his "find" (no eureka moment), and then only partly, till much later.

[Secret Alias]

I will take a screenshot of Quesnell's notes of his conversation with Dourvas. Maybe you can read his reporting directly.

[StephenGoranson]

I think you reported this conjecture, in whole or in part, before.

In recent decades, additional works of Augustine and of Origen have been discovered. Works recognized as genuine.
"Clement Letter"--not so much.

[Secret Alias]

It's not conjecture. Here it is. June 2, 1983.



Kallistos held the position of Smith and Landau. Clearly he would have fallen in the camp of "Greek Monks Who Thought the Letter of Theodore was in the Mar Saba Monastery Before Morton Smith Arrive(d)." Same with Seraphim. If it were anyone other than the first person to accuse Morton Smith of forgery in writing you could dismiss this testimony. Surely there is no reason for Quesnell to lie about this. Quesnell's testimony is corroborated by George Dragash who apparently was at the Patriarchate in 1983 and present when the whole request by Quesnell for the manuscript was taking place. I've published that whole interview on this forum several times.

[Secret Alias]

Close up.

[Secret Alias]

Xaristos is a mistake for Kallistos (Dourvas).

[StephenGoranson]

Even if he did "go and look" and even if he found a different unspecified volume with 18th-c marginalia, that's no proof of the "Letter" or the Voss book. Read this before anyway; not news.

Smith did recommend generally looking for marginalia.........after 1958.

Not a trace of the "Letter" before 1958, anywhere in the world.