Freethought & Rationalism Archive

stephan huller · 09-27-2013, 12:00 PM

No only the first five chapters. The last 30 are untranslated.

stephan huller · 09-27-2013, 12:06 PM

Here is what exists in English (nothing else in any language apparently):

Quote:

Deeds and Miracles and Testimony
of the Holy and All-praiseworthy Apostle and Evangelist Mark
From the codex Athonensi stauronicetae 18, s. xiii., f. 175v–189

Translated by Dr. Mark A. House
(January, 2012)

1. Prologue

The God-taught doctrines of the divinely wise and celebrated apostles, and their Spirit-moved and world-saving instruction, preached by God’s direction unto the ends of the world, and [their] judgment unfolding [as] the shining of solar rays, the greatest of the world, has delivered [us] from sophistic and satanic atheism and idol-mania and has transferred [us] to the light of the knowledge of God. Therefore, since the admirable and all-pious apostle and evangelist Mark is also from the God-appointed time of the great and divinely sweet apostles, he is also suitably worthy of highest praise and is celebrated with songs of praise by the pious. For which reason also our smallness and moderation has been incited by Scripture to pass along his praiseworthy and God-pleasing manner of life and [his] useful travels and his wonder-working, incredible deeds, both for the glory of Christ our God and for [the] benefit of those who encounter [it]. So, with the guiding assistance of the all-powerful and essentially unified trinity of the one divinity and [his] realm, emboldened also by acceptable supplication of the God-seeing evangelist for aid, let us begin casting forth [our] expository composition.
2. Mark’s Youth; His Knowledge of Scripture

This celebrated apostle Mark, the torch of the unfading light and the great herald of the teaching of the Gospel, was descended from stock [that was] godly-minded and adorned with a kindly strain [kai xrêstois êthesi kekosmêmenon], and derived as well from the Levitical tribe. And from his childhood into developed manhood and maturity, he ordered his life in a self-controlled and moderate fashion, abstaining from all unseasonable and hurtful vanities, but also clinging to all soul-benefitting and wholesome good deeds. Persisting in both fastings and prayers and petitions, and rejoicing in good deeds, he was known and marveled at by all. And encountering the prophetic books, and pondering the reading, and musing on the hidden and obscure meanings of the God-breathed predictions, by divine illumination he harmoniously interpreted with excellence and perfection, making the releases of these lofty divine discourses clear to all. So from this and from his virtuous way of living, the people called this man mystery speaker [mystolektês] and holy herald [hierokêroux].
3. His Generosity; His Other Virtues

Having his residence in Jerusalem, he was allotted great wealth from his ancestors, and he distributed this to the needy and poor. For this wonder-worthy apostle was generous and infected with much pity, kindly and courteously welcoming in poor and exiled people and providing for their necessities. With these his excellent successes and many other forms of virtue he distinguished himself, and rightly so. For he was predestined for discipleship of the only begotten Son of God and worthily called to transfer every good working of virtue to the highest degree [pasan aretês agathoergian], in order thus to receive divine illumination from the all-holy and life-giving Spirit and to become a clear-sighted torch and an enlightened [pamphaestaton] herald of the divine discourses of the Gospel.
4. He Is Baptized by St. Peter;

His Mother Receives Jesus the Miracle Worker

Now at first this blessed apostle was called John. But when he received the washing of renewal from Peter the divine and venerable leader, he was renamed Mark and bore the title [exrêmatisen] of an adopted son. And Mary, the mother of the blessed apostle Mark, had converted [metêrxeto] to a sober and God-loving life. And when she had seen a populous crowd following Christ as their God, the one who had become human for salvation of the human race and who had accomplished very great and inexplicable miracles, with great haste she goes to him and is ashamed and beseeches him to come away into her house. And the philanthropic and all compassionate Jesus, the God-man, the Creator of the whole world, the one who is present everywhere and fills the universe with his divine and all-authoritative power, hearkened to her [and] went along to her house. And he, the one [who gives] holiness to everyone, and who supplies enlightenment, and who gives a myriad of good things, illuminated and sanctified everyone in that place. For what could be more lofty and pleasant than this saving visitation and reception? That she, truly blessed and honored, the mother of the inspired apostle, received into her house the only begotten Son and Word of God, the one who brought forth from non-being all the seen and unseen creation, and who became human because of the extremity of [his] goodness and unutterable compassion. For the crowds were exceedingly struck seeing the truly great signs and wonders and the countless miracles that Christ, the Son of the Most High God, performed in [his] many years among those in the bounds of Jerusalem and that vicinity, just as the teaching of the Gospel specifies. For dead people arose and became alive with only a word, sight was granted to blind people, he healed epileptic and demon-possessed folk, he walked upon the surface of the seas [thalassiois], he authoritatively commanded the sea and the winds, he made the waves of a violent storm calm and smooth. From five loaves of bread he fed thousands, he healed those with half-dry necroses [nekroeideis] and those severely afflicted with leprosy and those under medical treatment, and he granted healing from painful and incurable diseases to countless multitudes. For he who accomplished these things is the Son of God and God the Christ, of the same substance as the Father and the Holy Spirit, who encompasses everything. And the Word has thus both accomplished these things and performed them repeatedly.
5. A Disciple of John the Baptist, and Then of Jesus;
Mark Received St. Peter Freed from Prison

Now the celebrated apostle Mark had previously followed the divine and greatly eloquent John, the forerunner, but when the only-begotten Son of God went from Jerusalem into Galilee, he followed him. And when Peter, the most divine and all-reverent leader of the apostles, was cast out from the inescapable and all-secure prison under the supervision of a holy angel, and was delivered from the hands of the all-abominable and thrice-accursed Herod and the baseless and lie-plastered betrayal of the all-brazen Jews, he went immediately from the prison to the house of the thrice-blessed Mark, sending up a hymn of thanksgiving to God and announcing to the brothers about the wondrous deed that had happened to him, how Christ their God had suddenly and amazingly delivered him from the brutal and murderous plot of the accursed Jews. So everyone rejoiced by sending up the appropriate thanksgiving to Christ their God.

stephan huller · 09-27-2013, 12:07 PM

Apparently Salm told me that when Mark House found out that he was a rather active atheist he stopped cooperating with Salm. That's why the translation is stuck where it is.

stephan huller · 09-27-2013, 12:09 PM

As Baarda notes to me about this text (after writing a serious paper on the Martyrium of Mark tradition - he knew that it deviated from the ordinary text of the Martyrium. But now he is more interested in this text because it combines several traditions about Mark.

stephan huller · 09-27-2013, 12:12 PM

I've got piles of untranslated stuff on Mark in Arabic and Coptic. A whole parallel tradition to Severus Al'Ashmunein with many original bits that was only discovered a few years ago (Sidarus gave me the Mark portion). It is survives in Arabic.

Also there is this collection of texts wrongly identified as by Severual Al'Ashmunein. It really comes from Severus of Nesterweh a century and a half earlier if I remember correctly. http://www.archive.org/stream/homlie...qgoog_djvu.txt

As you see the material exists in a French translation from a century or more ago.

The Greek Acts of Mark is the most interesting however. It must be translated.

stephan huller · 09-27-2013, 12:14 PM

I have attempted to contact Mark House in Colorado but apparently he hasn't been in the office for two days.

Roger Pearse · 09-27-2013, 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stephan huller

No only the first five chapters. The last 30 are untranslated.

It would be good to have the rest. Do talk to Mark House.

stephan huller · 09-27-2013, 02:48 PM

You know what I am thinking? Since it appears that Mark House was put off by Rene Salm's atheist leanings maybe it would be best if you approached him or I introduced you as someone who was also interested in this stuff. Apparently he took one look at Salm's stuff about the non-existence of Nazareth and dropped the project. Maybe I could direct him to your website and give him another perspective about the need for this to be translated?

mountainman · 09-27-2013, 08:42 PM

From the translation .....

Quote:

So, with the guiding assistance of the all-powerful and essentially unified trinity of the one divinity ....

Seems to be post-Nicaean.

Quote:

This celebrated apostle Mark, the torch of the unfading light and the great herald of the teaching of the Gospel, was descended from stock [that was] godly-minded and adorned with a kindly strain [kai xrêstois êthesi kekosmêmenon]...

With allusions to "Chrest".

Roger Pearse · 09-28-2013, 01:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mountainman

From the translation .....

Quote:

So, with the guiding assistance of the all-powerful and essentially unified trinity of the one divinity ....

Seems to be post-Nicaean.

Well-spotted.

τῆς παντοκρατορικῆς καὶ ὁμοουσίου τριάδος

The reference to the homoousion does not necessarily mean post-Nicaea, but that is the most likely explanation, of course.

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09-27-2013, 12:00 PM	#21
stephan huller Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: seattle, wa Posts: 9,337	No only the first five chapters. The last 30 are untranslated.

09-27-2013, 12:07 PM	#23
stephan huller Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: seattle, wa Posts: 9,337	Apparently Salm told me that when Mark House found out that he was a rather active atheist he stopped cooperating with Salm. That's why the translation is stuck where it is.

09-27-2013, 12:09 PM	#24
stephan huller Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: seattle, wa Posts: 9,337	As Baarda notes to me about this text (after writing a serious paper on the Martyrium of Mark tradition - he knew that it deviated from the ordinary text of the Martyrium. But now he is more interested in this text because it combines several traditions about Mark.

09-27-2013, 12:12 PM	#25
stephan huller Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: seattle, wa Posts: 9,337	I've got piles of untranslated stuff on Mark in Arabic and Coptic. A whole parallel tradition to Severus Al'Ashmunein with many original bits that was only discovered a few years ago (Sidarus gave me the Mark portion). It is survives in Arabic. Also there is this collection of texts wrongly identified as by Severual Al'Ashmunein. It really comes from Severus of Nesterweh a century and a half earlier if I remember correctly. http://www.archive.org/stream/homlie...qgoog_djvu.txt As you see the material exists in a French translation from a century or more ago. The Greek Acts of Mark is the most interesting however. It must be translated.

09-27-2013, 12:14 PM	#26
stephan huller Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: seattle, wa Posts: 9,337	I have attempted to contact Mark House in Colorado but apparently he hasn't been in the office for two days.

09-27-2013, 02:48 PM	#28
stephan huller Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: seattle, wa Posts: 9,337	You know what I am thinking? Since it appears that Mark House was put off by Rene Salm's atheist leanings maybe it would be best if you approached him or I introduced you as someone who was also interested in this stuff. Apparently he took one look at Salm's stuff about the non-existence of Nazareth and dropped the project. Maybe I could direct him to your website and give him another perspective about the need for this to be translated?

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