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    Ancient Letter, Modern Mystery: The "Secret Mark" Translation

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    Bogdan Solan
    1) A scholar named Morton Smith discovered a previously unknown letter from Clement of Alexandria, a second-century church father, copied onto the end pages of a 17th century book. 2) The letter describes passages from a "secret gospel" of Mark that contains additional stories of Jesus not included in the canonical Gospel of Mark. 3) The letter asserts that some details in the secret gospel were likely falsified by heretics, but that the core accounts may be authentic versions of Jesus' teachings that were kept secret and only shared with initiated followers.

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    Ancient Letter, Modern Mystery: The "Secret Mark" Translation

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    Bogdan Solan
    108 views4 pages
    1) A scholar named Morton Smith discovered a previously unknown letter from Clement of Alexandria, a second-century church father, copied onto the end pages of a 17th century book. 2) The letter describes passages from a "secret gospel" of Mark that contains additional stories of Jesus not included in the canonical Gospel of Mark. 3) The letter asserts that some details in the secret gospel were likely falsified by heretics, but that the core accounts may be authentic versions of Jesus' teachings that were kept secret and only shared with initiated followers.

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    Secret Mark

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    1) A scholar named Morton Smith discovered a previously unknown letter from Clement of Alexandria, a second-century church father, copied onto the end pages of a 17th century book. 2) The letter describes passages from a "secret gospel" of Mark that contains additional stories of Jesus not included in the canonical Gospel of Mark. 3) The letter asserts that some details in the secret gospel were likely falsified by heretics, but that the core accounts may be authentic versions of Jesus' teachings that were kept secret and only shared with initiated followers.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    108 views4 pages

    Ancient Letter, Modern Mystery: The "Secret Mark" Translation

    Uploaded by

    Bogdan Solan
    1) A scholar named Morton Smith discovered a previously unknown letter from Clement of Alexandria, a second-century church father, copied onto the end pages of a 17th century book. 2) The letter describes passages from a "secret gospel" of Mark that contains additional stories of Jesus not included in the canonical Gospel of Mark. 3) The letter asserts that some details in the secret gospel were likely falsified by heretics, but that the core accounts may be authentic versions of Jesus' teachings that were kept secret and only shared with initiated followers.

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    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
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    Ancient Letter, Modern Mystery: The “Secret

    Mark” Translation
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    While looking for ancient documents in the Mar Saba monastery library in the Judean Desert,
    scholar Morton Smith made a discovery that rocked the academic world: Copied onto the end-pages
    of a 17th-century book was a previously unknown letter from Clement of Alexandria, a second-
    century church father, which contained passages of a lost “secret” gospel of Mark. Over fifty years
    after this remarkable revelation, the debate over the authenticity of the document continues. But
    what did the letter say? What follows is Morton Smith’s translation as it appears in his book Clement
    of Alexandria and a Secret Gospel of Mark.

    Folio I From the letters of the most holy Clement, the author of the
    Recto Stromateis. To Theodore.
      You did well in silencing the unspeakable teachings of the
    Carpocratians. For these are the “wandering stars” referred to in the
    prophecy, who wander from the narrow road of the commandments
    into a boundless abyss of the carnal and
    5 bodily sins. | i For, priding themselves in knowledge, as they say, “of
    the deep things of Satan,” they do not know that they are casting
    themselves away into “the nether world of the darkness” of falsity,
    and, boasting that they are free, they have become slaves of servile
    desires. Such men are to be opposed in all ways and altogether. For,
    even if they should say something true, one who loves the truth
    should not, even so, agree with them. For not all true things are
    10 the truth, nor should | that truth which merely seems true according
    to human opinions be preferred to the true truth, that according to
    the faith. Now of the things they keep saying about the divinely
    inspired Gospel according to Mark, some are altogether falsifications,
    and others, even if they do contain some true elements, nevertheless
    are not reported truly. For the true things being mixed with
    inventions, are falsified, so that, as the saying goes, even the
    15 salt | loses its savor.
    As for Mark, then, during Peter’s stay in Rome he wrote an account
    of the Lord’s doings, not, however, declaring all of them, nor yet
    hinting at the secret ones, but selecting what he thought most useful
    for increasing the faith of those who were being instructed. But when
    Peter died a martyr, Mark came over to
    20 Alexandria, bringing both his own notes and those of Peter, | from
    which he transferred to his former book the things suitable to
    whatever makes for progress toward knowledge. Thus he composed
    a more spiritual Gospel for the use of those who were being
    perfected. Nevertheless, he yet did not divulge the things not to be
    uttered, nor did he write down the hierophantic teaching of the Lord,
    but
    25 to the stories already written he added yet others and, moreover,
    brought in certain | sayings of which he knew the interpretation
    would, as a mystagogue, lead the hearers into the innermost
    sanctuary of that truth hidden by seven veils. Thus, in sum, he
    prepared matters, neither grudgingly nor incautiously, in my
    I verso opinion, and, dying, he left his composition to the church in |
    Alexandria, where it even yet is most carefully guarded, being read
    only to those who are being initiated into the great mysteries.
    But since the foul demons are always devising destruction for the
    race of men,
    5 Carpocrates, instructed by them and using deceitful arts, | so
    enslaved a certain presbyter of the church in Alexandria that he got
    from him a copy of the secret Gospel, which he both interpreted
    according to his blasphemous and carnal doctrine and, moreover,
    polluted, mixing with the spotless and holy words
    10 utterly shameless lies. From this mixture is drawn off | the teaching
    of the Carpocratians. To them, therefore, as I said above, one must
    never give way; nor, when they put forward their falsifications,
    should one concede that the secret Gospel is by Mark, but should
    even deny it on oath. For, “Not all true things are to be said to all
    men.” For this reason the Wisdom of God, through Solomon, advises,
    15 “Answer the fool from his folly,” | teaching that the light of the truth
    should be hidden from those who are mentally blind. Again it says,
    “From him who has not shall be taken away,” and, “Let the fool walk
    in darkness.” But we are “children of light,” having been illuminated
    by “the dayspring” of the spirit of the Lord “from on high,” and
    “Where the Spirit of the Lord is,” it says, “there is liberty,” for “All
    things are pure to the pure.”
    20 To you, therefore, I shall not hesitate to answer the questions you
    have asked, | refuting the falsifications by the very words of the
    Gospel. For example, after “And they were in the road going up to
    Jerusalem,” and what follows, until “After three days he shall arise,”
    the secret Gospel brings the following material word for word: “And
    they come into Bethany. And a certain woman whose brother had
    died was there. And, coming, she prostrated herself before Jesus
    25 and says to him, ‘Son of David, | have mercy on me.’ But the
    disciples rebuked her. And Jesus, being angered, went off with her
    into the garden where
    2 recto the tomb was, and | straightway a great cry was heard from the
    tomb. And going near Jesus rolled away the stone from the door of
    the tomb. And straightway, going in where the youth was, he
    stretched forth his hand and raised him, seizing his hand. But the
    youth, looking upon him, loved him and | began to beseech
    5 him that he might be with him. And going out of the tomb they came
    into the house of the youth, for he was rich. And after six days Jesus
    told him what to do and in the evening the youth comes to him,
    wearing a linen cloth over his naked body. And he remained with him
    that night, for | Jesus taught him the mystery of
    10 the kingdom of God. And thence, arising, he returned to the other
    side of the Jordan.” After these words follows the text, “And James
    and John come to him,” and all that section. But “naked man with
    naked man,” and the other things about which you wrote, are not
    found. And after the words, “And he comes into Jericho,” the secret
    Gospel adds only,
    15 And | the sister of the youth whom Jesus loved and his mother and
    Salome were there, and Jesus did not receive them.” But the many
    other things about which you wrote both seem to be and are
    falsifications. Now the true explanation and that which accords with
    the true philosophy

    [Here the fragment ends.]


    Notes
    i. These lines indicate as closely as possible the beginning of each fifth line of the Greek
    text.
    To read about the continuing debate over Morton Smith and the “Secret Mark” letter,
    see “Secret Mark”: An Amazing Discovery by Charles W. Hedrick in the
    November/December 2009 issue of BAR.

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