The Find: Morton Smith's Controversial Discovery of the Secret Gospel of Mark

In 1958, Morton Smith, an emerging scholar in biblical studies from Columbia University, embarked on a journey that would forever change the landscape of early Christian scholarship. With a reputation for his meticulous and insightful work, Smith left his New York apartment and traveled to the Mediterranean, aiming to catalog manuscripts in the Mar Saba monastery near Jerusalem.

The Journey to Mar Saba

Smith's passion for uncovering lost manuscripts began a few years earlier during a Fulbright fellowship in Greece, where he amassed a collection of images of manuscripts by Isidore of Pelusium. This newfound love for ancient texts led him to Mar Saba, a monastery known for its ancient holdings and the tranquility of its desert surroundings. His connection with the Orthodox Church, bolstered by previous fundraising efforts for Palestinian refugees, secured him the patriarch’s permission to explore the monastery's library.

The 1942 Visit and Wartime Stranding

This wasn't Smith’s first encounter with Mar Saba. During World War II, he found himself stranded in Jerusalem, where he immersed himself in the local monastic life. His time at Mar Saba in 1942, filled with rigorous daily routines and profound silence, left a lasting impression on him. Although Smith never explicitly mentioned a return visit between 1942 and 1958, new evidence suggests he may have visited Mar Saba again in 1944, based on sketches dated from that time.

The Discovery

In 1958, equipped with more experience and academic rigor, Smith returned to Mar Saba. This time, he meticulously sifted through the monastery’s libraries, focusing on modern printed books that might contain handwritten notes or passages. Among the volumes, he found a seventeenth-century printed book that had lost its cover and title page. Within its endpages, Smith discovered an extraordinary manuscript: a letter attributed to Clement of Alexandria, addressed to a certain Theodore.

The Secret Gospel of Mark

The letter contained excerpts from what Clement referred to as a "Secret Gospel of Mark." This gospel included a provocative narrative where Jesus raises a young man from the dead, leading to an intimate relationship between them, which was later corrupted by heretical sects to imply a sexual nature. Smith photographed the manuscript and began to piece together its historical context. The printed volume, identified as Isaac Voss’s edition of Ignatius of Antioch’s letters, provided a terminus post quem of 1646 for the manuscript.

Keeping the Secret

Despite the groundbreaking nature of his find, Smith chose to keep the discovery under wraps, fearing premature exposure could damage his academic reputation. He confided only in his mentor, Gershom Scholem, and focused on verifying the manuscript's authenticity and significance. This decision proved wise, as the manuscript would later ignite significant controversy.

Legacy and Controversy

Smith’s discovery of the Secret Gospel of Mark has remained a contentious topic in biblical scholarship. Some scholars argue for its authenticity, while others suspect it to be a modern forgery, potentially crafted by Smith himself. The debate centers around the manuscript's handwriting, historical context, and the motivations behind its creation.

In their book, "Secret Gospel of Mark: An Exploration of Its Controversial Authenticity", Brett Landau and Geoffrey Smith delve into this controversy, offering new perspectives and evidence to challenge conventional views.

Conclusion

The story of Morton Smith’s discovery at Mar Saba is a captivating blend of adventure, scholarship, and mystery. His find has spurred decades of debate, highlighting the complexities and challenges of authenticating ancient texts. Whether the Secret Gospel of Mark is a genuine relic of early Christianity or a modern creation, its impact on the study of Christian origins is undeniable. For those intrigued by this scholarly saga, Landau and Smith’s book provides a thorough and thought-provoking analysis of this enigmatic text and its implications for our understanding of early Christian history.