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Loading...Here is my second re-post from 2015 about destroying ancient mummy masks in hopes of finding manuscripts.
In yesterday’s post I cited an article by Mary-Ann Russo that explained the situation about the mummy masks that were being destroyed in order to acquire papyrus fragments of the New Testament. The scholar mainly cited in that article as being involved in that process was Craig Evans, a friend of mine with whom I have had several public debates. Craig feels that he has been somewhat misrepresented in this article, and sent me a clarification. I have asked and received his permission, and this is what he says: (NOTE: after this paragraph is a lengthier explanation and justification of what they are doing when destroying mummy masks):
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Thanks for this, Professor. It’s something we hear so little about and it has its own story.
This subject is so fascinating to me. Archeology, history, fraud, and the morality issues of biblical research. I recently read “Veritas” by Ariel Sabar, which touched on a similar subject. I look forward to when they will share this Mark fragment. Thanks for sharing.
It’s available. I discuss it here: https://ehrmanblog.org/what-the-new-fragment-of-marks-gospel-looks-like-the-so-called-first-century-mark/
As someone with a strong interest in archaeology I am aware that even if the upper layers are destroyed to get to the lower layers before they are destroyed they are carefully recorded. That is they are photographed, mapped and often 3D models are made of them so that in some way they are preserved. I would hope that before destroying the masks that they too are being photographed and drawn etc. Furthermore, modern archaeology often does not destroy anything. Rather, modern techniques such as ground penetrating radar, lidar and others look below the surface to see what is there without destroying anything. I would hope that some of these techniques such as photography or ultrasound or some other such technique could be used to look beyond the surface without destroying the masks. After all they can look at the metal scrolls from Herculaneum without opening them up and destroying them they should be able to do something similar with the masks. I am sure that any masks that were in bad condition could be restored. I am heartsick at losing anything so precious where there is no need.
Fake news. They have to figure out how to write on it so it appears to be from the first century.
Somebody was buried in a fish shroud costume made of papyrus. They took it apart and found the whole NT. His name was Jonah.
Is it political to say that destroying mummy masks just rubs me the wrong way??
Not a fan, full stop.
I’m a bit confused by this. Does this mean that no masks were actually destroyed in retrieving the so-called first-century fragment of Mark? In other words, was the story that the fragment came from a mask just invented as a cover story? If so, are there genuine cases of masks being destroyed to discover fragments? I can’t quite tell here how much of the story survives the revelations about the Mark fragment.
That’s right. It was discovered by archaeologists in Egypt. Sonme of the other fragments “discovered” were planted. I don’t if other non-spectacular papyri fragments (receipts and such) were found in masks; I suppose they have been but can’t remember.