The Intriguing Journey of Quentin Quesnell and the Mar Saba Manuscript
Quesnell’s Satisfactory Procedure and the Role of Photographic Reproductions
Quesnell’s satisfaction with the photographic reproductions of the Mar Saba manuscript is well-documented in his correspondence. In 1983, during a visit to the Orthodox Patriarchate, he worked with a recommended photographer named Garo, a brother of the proprietor of Photo Garo. Quesnell noted, "In 1983, I did bring back some manuscript photos from the Orthodox Patriarchate, where they recommended a photographer named Garo, a brother of the proprietor of Photo Garo. His work was very satisfactory." This statement highlights the quality and impact of these photographic reproductions on his research.
Despite the quality of these materials, Quesnell’s endeavors, funded by Smith College, to expose Morton Smith as a forger never resulted in the intended academic output. Lacking concrete evidence of forgery, Quesnell did not publish any findings on the Letter to Theodore following his 1983 visit to Jerusalem. The photographic materials, which he acknowledged as valuable, were ultimately discarded with his other belongings after his death. This is particularly striking given his earlier statement in a funding request, where he mentioned the importance of these materials: "[i]f ink tests cannot be performed, the second-best possibility is to get paleographic experts in 18th-century Greek working on the negatives and slides which I now possess."
Connection with Timo Paananen and Unused Resources
I became acquainted with Quesnell through Timo Paananen, a Finnish doctoral candidate who faced challenges in contacting the Smith College professor due to limited resources and the high costs of international calls. After 2010, I facilitated a "three-way call" with Quesnell. Notes from these conversations, found in the Smith College archives, reveal Quesnell’s references to the creation and subsequent use of these blow-up photographs. Paananen’s inquiry about whether the three color photographs given by Kallistos Dourvas to Nikolaos Olympiou and Charles Hedrick, later published in The Fourth R in 2000, were the same ones Quesnell had, remained unanswered. However, the similarities suggest they might have been the same.
Despite Quesnell’s meticulous planning to use these enlargements for paleographic research, these resources were not effectively utilized. The nine enlargements produced by Richard Fish from the original photographs commissioned by Kallistos Dourvas and Garo Nalbandian were intended as superior resources for detailed investigations. However, rumors that Morton Smith had "burned" his personal notes distracted from the fact that numerous black-and-white photographs taken by Smith in 1958 had been publicly available from the Jewish Theological Seminary since 2006.
Misconceptions and Missed Opportunities in Paleographic Research
A significant misconception among amateur researchers, who were active in online discussions about the "Mar Saba controversy," was that color photographs were inherently superior to black-and-white ones for paleographic examination. This belief likely contributed to the underutilization of the valuable black-and-white photographs available for scholarly scrutiny.
Quesnell’s journey, marked by diligent efforts and ultimately unrealized goals, underscores the complexities and challenges of historical manuscript research. While his endeavors did not yield the intended results, they highlight the importance of careful planning, the potential of photographic reproductions in manuscript studies, and the need for accurate understanding of research methodologies among both scholars and enthusiasts.
As the debate over the authenticity of the Mar Saba manuscript continues, Quesnell’s story serves as a reminder of the intricate dance between discovery, interpretation, and the ever-present human element in the pursuit of historical truth.
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