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- From: phil AT sedona.net (Philip B Lewis)
- To: gmark AT franklin.oit.unc.edu
- Subject: Haggadoth in GMark
- Date: Sun, 7 Nov 1999 20:11:07 -0700 (MST)
On Sun. Nov. 7, 1999 Jeffrey Gibson inquired concerning my sources for
identifying a Rosh Hashana liturgy in GMark. I have done so several times
on crosstalk and crosstalk2. Jeffrey wrote:
> At the risk of showing my ignorance, would you mind telling me what evidence
supports (a) your claim that Ps 107 was part of a 1st cent CE Rosh Hashana
liturgy, let alone one for making votive offerings in the Temple and (b) that
AMark was grounding the feeding, exorcism, etc. stories on it?<
In answer to (a): H. Schmiidt, _Die Psalmen_, Tubingen, 1934 or _Das Gebet
der Angeklagten in den Psalmen_, Topelmann, 1928 as cited by Elmer A.
Leslie, _The Psalms_, Abingdon-Cokesbury, 1949. Leslie wrote the
Introduction to the Psalms in the Abingdon Commentary. His Bibliography for
his 1949 work is very extensive and he recognized as those who had
influenced his translation Herman Gunkel, Sigmund Mowinckel and Hans Schmidt.
Of Ps.107 Leslie says: "Ps.107 is a liturgy of individual thanksgiving. It
is composed in two parts. The first (vss.1-32) is a litugy for a service in
the Temple where individuals rendered their vows in groups...(It) was
intended for rendering in connection with the great service for the
presentation of votive offerings which took place at the autumnal New Year
festival." Leslie reproduced Schmidt's description of how the liturgy
progressed, with a salutation by the high priest, the gathering of "the
redeemed of Israel" from north south, east and west" (note a similar
'ingathering in Mk.3.7-8). As each of the four groups came forward to pay
their vows, priestly choirs sang antiphonally their gratitude to God
As for (b): Perhaps your interest may be caught, as mine was years ago, by
Mk.3.9 and the puzzle of what happened to the boat. Follow that "boat" lead
through GMark, recognusing that Mark used elements of his Boat Source as he
himself found need of them. (Omitting only the Walking on the Sea story and
the Riddle of the Loaves). Jesus teaches from the boat. He and the
disciples leave only to be followed by crowds as they go to a site where a
Feeding occurs. Note that the symbolism of that Feeding rested on "five
loaves" Torah and "two fish" the sign of Pisces, the new age which had just
dawned a few years before. Follow the wake of the boat to "the country of
the Gerasenes" and from there across the lake to the western shore and
Magdala, then in the _ship_, no longer a boat, and a storm from which Jesus
saves the disciples. Note that in Ps.107.24 in the LXX those who went "down
to the sea" were in ships. The voyage ended when they reached their
destination, presumably Capernaum.
That's one way to trace remnants of Mark's Boat Source. Note also that vows
actually were paid in the Temple (they could not be discharged anywhere
else) at the year-end accounting. Ben Sirah has something to say about
paying up promptly.
Has this interpretation of Markan materials been published? Yes, by me in
Vol.39 No.4, _Encounter_, 1978, Christian Theological Seminary,
Indianapolis, IN, Clark M. Williamson, editor - and who requested it of me.
Unfortunately, the article was published before proof sheets reached me for
correction.
A real problem in contemporary NT study is that we forget the three
"evidences" of God's love for Israel. They were The Law, the Temple and
Deeds of mercy. Liturgy is a genuine means of communication. Rites and
rituals convey meaning fully as much as the wrtten word. IMO a case could
be made that "oral traditiom" had its rootage in the orality by means of
which worshippers could participate in liturgies. They had to memorize the
psalms and responses which fell to them - there was no other way to take
part. With the destruction of the Temple (synagogue worship was entirely
ancilary to the Temple service, Burton Mack says) and the massacre of its
priesthood, a whole communication link was lost. I think it was Neusner who
said that the rabbis rejoyced at the loss of priestly scribal records when
the Temple was dstroyed. Anything we can do to recover the loss should be
helpful both to Christian scholarship and to Judaism.
Philip
-phil AT sedona.net
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
Philip B. Lewis HR (Presby. Plains & Peaks)
754-B Sawmill Cove
Cottonwood, AZ 86326
- Haggadoth in GMark, Philip B Lewis, 11/07/1999
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