Two and a half theories on "Theodore" handwriting

[StephenGoranson]

Two main theories:
a) a Mar Saba monk in about the 18th-century copied an older text.
b) the text is a modern imitation of 18th-century text, as A.T. wrote it was.

In (a) a penner would write in his current handwriting, not imitating the supposed earlier copy handwriting.
Added: so no imitation-type mistakes.

In (b) a penner would attempt to imitate 18th-century style, but *not* to be copying, imitating, a pre-existent penned text, since there was no pre-existent text. And, in part, failing.

So, in (b), say, Smith, was not imitating a known copy. Not "trying to imitate someone," at least not some older someone in particular, since that hypothesized "someone" did not exist. Nor imitating anything else other than, possibly, his own practice copy.

Half-wise, MS could have asked Greek scholars (in addition to paleographic publications) to teach him about the then ductus practice and ligatures, so he could better read, and transcribe, and translate texts, without making then actual accomplices.

[billd89]

Half-wise, MS could have asked Greek scholars (in addition to paleographic publications) to teach him about the then ductus practice and ligatures, so he could better read, and transcribe, and translate texts, without making then actual accomplices.

All-wise, otherwise, MS could have handed a prepared text he wanted transcribed to an elderly expert forger, with 20 quid. (Later, the Accomplice was likely deceased at the time MS 'made news.')



If I understand the The Palestine Currency Order of 1928, 20 Palestine Pounds in Gold was 5.14 Ozt? That was USD$ 97-98. or so, in 1928. Exorbitant!

[billd89]

Ken mentioned site this three years ago:
http://www.forgingantiquity.com/forgeries

I think Choat's "Forging antiquities: the case of papyrus fakes" is known here, although it has not been mentioned before?
https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/F ... e4e3d8adb0

[StephenGoranson]

Though the book by G. Smith and B. Landau on "Secret Mark" makes a good case that the "Letter to Theodore" was written long after Clement died, the book did not make a good case that the "Letter" was composed within the 4th to 8th centuries.

There are imo several reasons to doubt their dating proposal, one of which (among others) was written by Ariel Sabar in the April issue of The Atlantic:

"After meeting Landau and Smith, I called Derek Krueger, a professor at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and an expert on sexuality in Byzantine monasticism....Still, no ancient stories defending the virtue of monk couples--none he knew of, anyway--took the guise of a lost gospel."