Can We Take the Martyrdom of Polycarp at Face Value?
I continue here my discussion of the Martyrdom of Polycarp as found in my book Forgery and Counterforgery. This will get in the weeds a bit, but hey, it can be good for your soul! I've always thought that it's useful for layfolk to see how scholars in one field or another argue among themselves, and this is an example of it. And we ain't talkin' quantum physics here. This should be pretty accessible if you're interested in some of the complexities. Here I explain why in the past scholars doubted whether the account was authentic or not; in posts to come I'll explain reasons that I ended up finding it more compelling to think that the book is in fact a forgery. ****************************** It has long been recognized that there are problems with taking the Martyrdom of Polycarp at face value as a straightforward historical record of what actually happened to the bishop of Smyrna. The numerous parallels to the Gospel records of Jesus’ death appear contrived in places, the account is chock-full of miraculous [...]