Kata Markon

[JFAlward AT aol.com]

Dennis MacDonald:

Just a note, in my book The Homeric Epics and the Gospel of Mark I argue that 
the Transfiguration story is a christianization of Odysseus's transfiguration 
to Telemachus in Odyssey 16. Here Athena dresses Odysseus in brilliant 
clothing. Take a look.
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Joe Alward:


The verse Dennis has is mind is: "and his clothes became dazzling white, such 
as no launderer on earth could whiten them" (Mark 9:3), but the single 
possible connection to Homer's Athena, who dressed Odysseus in a "well-washed 
cloak," seems very weak compared to the several possible connections to the 
Old Testament:  

Daniel 7:....Clothing whiter than snow
Lamentations 4:7....princes brighter than snow
Psalm 51:7....I will be whiter than snow
Ezekiel 8:2...I looked, and I saw a figure like that of a man. From what 
appeared to be his waist down he was like fire, and from there up his 
appearance was as bright as glowing metal.
Ezekiel 1:27....brilliant light surrounded him
Psalm 18:12....brightness of his presence
Psalm 13:9....light of the righteous shines brightly
Song of Solomon 6:10....bright as the sun
Daniel 12:3....will shine like the brightness of the heavens
1 Chronicles 15:27....Now David was clothed in a robe of fine linen, as were 
all the Levites who were carrying the ark, and as were the singers, and 
Kenaniah, who was in charge of the singing of the choirs. David also wore a 
linen ephod.
Ecclesiastes 9:8....Always be clothed in white, and always anoint your head 
with oil.

As MacDonald himself points out on Page 96 of his book, "[I]t is quite 
possible that the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai provided Mark with the 
setting upon a mountain, the presence of a cloud, a heavenly  voice, and 
other details.  After all, Mark's Jesus speaks with Moses and Elijah, both of 
whom were related to Mount Sinai."  It is much more than just "possible," in 
my opinion; it seems extremely likely that Mark was using the Old Testament 
in the transfiguration story.  Furthermore, does it not seem much more likely 
that Mark had one or more of the images in the ten verses above in mind when 
he spoke of Jesus' dazzling white clothes?  Can Homer's "well-washed cloak" 
really compete with Daniel's "clothing whiter than snow," or indeed with many 
of the other images in the cited verses?