Roger Pearse

A great find, Andrew! It does contain this.

Pp.xiv-xv discuss the text as "Acta Petri et Acta Pauli gnostica" and begins:
On p.xvi he discusses reprints, apparently rather duff ones. Then:

But he says that it certainly wasn't written in Greek.

The discussion continues; on p.xix-xx is a list of (Latin) manuscripts of the "passion of Peter"; on p.xxiii-xxvi is a similar list of 78 mss for the "passion of Paul", probably incomplete (he says). A stemma appears on p.xxxi.

The text is on p.1-22, and p.23-44, respectively.

I would have no real objection to commissioning a translation of this, if I had anyone on hand who was interested in having a go.

All the best,

Roger Pearse

mountainman

Hi Roger,

Thanks very much for this.


That's 44 pages of Latin text for the "Acts of Linus" in two parts.

The prolog looks to be 111 pages in total.

One of my primary interests in seeing this text is to promote a discussion on these untranslated (??? I find it difficult to think that nobody has made an English translation in the last few hundred years) Acts of Linus, and how they may lead to a discussion of authorship, and the question of the identity of this exceedingly shadowy Gnostic author Leucius Charinus.


I think that this is a very worthwhile project in today's world of information. If the history of Christian Origins is a jig saw puzzle, then each of the texts of the canonical and non canonical books are themselves pieces in that jigsaw puzzle. Bringing this two part act to the surface with the rest of the evidence is IMHO just as important as publishing gJudas or the NHC.

One might like to think that every English speaking university would generously assist in this project, especially if the 44 pages could be farmed out. But I guess the academic world is either too busy or too uncoordinated.

GOOGLE may be interested - they have one of the e-sources that we have located to date. Or WIKI source texts?

Failing the reality of a coordinated (academic) farm-out, what's a ball park estimate in your own past Latin translation business experience for these 44 pages ?

Best wishes


Pete

Roger Pearse

Price I've paid in the past is $1 for 17 words.

Text seems to be 37 words on 5 lines, i.e. 7.4 words per line.

11+22+21+22+25+28+28+19+19+19+16+18+27+15+15+17+27 +23+14+12+15+21 = 434 lines for the Acta Petri, which would be 3212 words, i.e. $190.

Acta Pauli would probably be pretty similar.

My best translator has come free, but whether he would be interested in these items I wouldn't know without asking.

All the best,

Roger Pearse

mountainman

Hey Roger,

Although retired and essentially jobless I am happy to contribute (if your free translator is unavailable) the amount in full in order to permit an Englsh translation of this text to be available to the people of the planet.

One text at a time eh.

Is the $190 Australian dollars and if not what's the equivalent and do you have a web page with a postal address for an Oz Bank Cheque.

Sterling resources you have Roger. No rush. At your convenience. It's midwinter in the southern planetary regions and things are moving pretty slowly. I hear on Z poker tables that the northern midsummer is very good.

Best wishes



Pete

Roger Pearse

Well, I couldn't really ask a man with no income to pay for it. The money isn't serious.

But the real problem that I am having is in finding a reason why this material is worth the trouble...

Roger Pearse

I'll bung the text over to him anyway, and see whether he rejects it. If so, problem solved. If not, then we'll consider further.

mountainman

Hey Roger,

I have adequate savings for my present needs and we are not talking a few grand here. A few hundred I can handle with ease: my retirement has been planned for some time.

I would like to see this translation become available.

Moreover I am very happy to sponsor this project.

Your rates are very affordable.



Precisely.



Well I see that the "Acts of Linus" needs to be added to the virtual database that is presently available in respect of the NT non canonical gospels and acts. The version being translated from Latin may not be an accurate representation of the original greek text (if there was one). The authorship of the text may not even be from antiquity. However it is all we have at the moment, and it is remotely possible that this Latin text does preserve the basics of an "Early Christian Non Canonical Act".

The WACE entry does make a point of declaring that the material is suspected of being related to other "LEUCIAN" material. As I explained above, I find this possibility fascinating.

The material is worth the trouble IMHO. It falls within the net of ancient texts related to the reconstruction of the mystery of the history of the origins of christian literature.

At the end of the day I am happy to sponsor the task of making an English translation freely available for posterity purposes, and to be associated with this task.

Best wishes from rural Australia



Pete Brown

Roger Pearse

There is mention of these two items, as the Martyrium Petri (Ps.-Linus) and Martyrium Pauli (Ps.-Linus) in Schneemelcher here and here and here. There's still no mention of a translation.

Roger Pearse

The texts are BHL 6655 and 6570.

Roger Pearse

A handbook entry on ps.Linus, K. Sallmann, Die Literatur des Umbruchs, (1997) p.393 here. An Italian translation seems to exist.