Category: Harris 1887 - Wittenberg Door Campus Ministry

Photographic Preservation of Texts

8/19/2021

8/19/21
Tour of Christian History

Harris, J. Rendel. "Photographs of Manuscript Pages." The Teaching of the Apostles, newly edited, with facsimile text and a commentary, for the Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, from the MS. of the Holy Sepulchre (Convent of the Greek Church) Jerusalem. Baltimore: Publication Agency of the Johns Hopkins University, 1887, 109-128.

Harris closes his volume with a series of photographs of the Jerusalem manuscript of the Didache, presented without annotation or comment. The manuscript is clear, as are the ten photos. As discussed earlier, the writer used a number of abbreviations, but they are generally reasonably easy to decipher.

Miscellaneous Notes on the Didache

8/18/2021

8/18/21
Tour of Christian History

Harris, J. Rendel. "Additional Notes on the Teaching." The Teaching of the Apostles, newly edited, with facsimile text and a commentary, for the Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, from the MS. of the Holy Sepulchre (Convent of the Greek Church) Jerusalem. Baltimore: Publication Agency of the Johns Hopkins University, 1887, 97-107.

Harris provides a number of miscellaneous notes about the Didache. He observes a variety of opinions about the two titles, suggesting that the work may well have circulated under one or the other title, but not normally with both (Harris 1887, 97).

The Two Ways teaching appears in one form or another not only in Jewish thought, but also in Greek philosophy, though the descriptions of good and evil differ (Harris 1887, 97). Harris observes thatGreek philosophy will often use the letter gamma to indicate a duality. Harris does trace many of the ideas from the Two Ways to biblical and Judaistic roots (Harris 1887, 98-99).

The customs of baptism and prayers are similarly well rooted in biblical and early Christian roots (Harris 1887, 99-101). Harris considers the Didache to be a document which accords with historic Christianity.

Harris also finds the Didache's attitude toward traveling prophets to be biblically appropriate. Christians care for those who serve them in the Word of God, but they do not feed the ministers' greed or avarice (Harris 1887, 104). It is entirely appropriate that those who can work for their living should do so (Harris 1887, 105).

Can Heretics Borrow? Yes!

8/16/2021

8/16/21
Tour of Christian History

Harris, J. Rendel. "Supposed Montanism of the Teaching." The Teaching of the Apostles, newly edited, with facsimile text and a commentary, for the Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, from the MS. of the Holy Sepulchre (Convent of the Greek Church) Jerusalem. Baltimore: Publication Agency of the Johns Hopkins University, 1887, 95-96.

It may be a popular activity to look at a text and assign it to one or another heretical group coming from early Christianity. Harris notes that Harnack has done this with the Didache. Harris considers the most likely allegation against the Didache is that of Montanism (Harris 1887, 95).

Though the issue could be avoided altogether by affirming the Didache comes from a time period prior to Montanism, Harris observes that Montanism did grow from earlier ideas. It seems more likely to Harris that Montanism may have borrowed some elements of the Didache and repurposed thiem. His argument is that this is especially more plausible because the Didache has Jewish origins but Nontanism grows out of Phrygian culture (Harris 1887, 95). Harris concludes by illustrating that prophecy and the work of prophets as described in the Didache can be shown to harmonize either with New Testament texts or conflciting Montanist views (Harris 1887, 96).

The Entire Didache as a Christian Work with Hebrew Roots

8/13/2021

8/13/21
Tour of Christian History

Harris, J. Rendel. "Integrity of the Teaching and Genealogical Relations of the Authorities to Its Text." The Teaching of the Apostles, newly edited, with facsimile text and a commentary, for the Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, from the MS. of the Holy Sepulchre (Convent of the Greek Church) Jerusalem. Baltimore: Publication Agency of the Johns Hopkins University, 1887, 90-94.

Here, as earlier, Harris' Table of Contents and the actual content of his book appear to diverge. While we would expect to find information about the relation of different secondary materials to the text of the Didache, instead, Harris has a conclusion of his argument about Hebraisms.

Harris concludes that the entire Didache can be shown to have Hebraic character, not just the Two Ways material. The manuscript tradition of the Jerusalem Codex appear to be of a very early origin, more so that other fragments. Based on that early provenance, Harris concludes that the entire work fits a very early context, prior to the time of the Epistle of Jude (Harris 1887, 94).

Hebraisms and Why They Matter

8/12/2021

8/12/21
Tour of Christian History

Harris, J. Rendel. "Hebraisms of the Teaching." The Teaching of the Apostles, newly edited, with facsimile text and a commentary, for the Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, from the MS. of the Holy Sepulchre (Convent of the Greek Church) Jerusalem. Baltimore: Publication Agency of the Johns Hopkins University, 1887, 78-90.

Harris considers the Didache to have a very strong Hebraistic foundation, and to show evidence of that foundation throughout. He considers it to be very much like a Talmud in nature (Harris 1887, 78). The precepts, as well as the tendency toward expression using parallelism, are strongly Hebrew in nature (Harris 1887, 79). Harris also sees that the concepts used, particularly in the Two Ways material, are found in the Old Testament, and are thus Hebraistic (Harris 1887, 80).

Harris further sees significant passages in which parallelism is akin to that typical in Hebrew usage. In Didache chapter five there is a list of sins, then a parallel list of types of sinners. This is a typical pattern in Hebrew literature and prayer (Harris 1887, 82). Interestingly, here as well as in Romans chapter one, there are twenty-two items, corresponding to the number of letters in the Hebrew alphabet. They are presented without connectives, another Hebraism (Harris 1887, 84). Harris concludes, "there is ground for asuspicion that the Vidui of the Day of Ataonemtn, the Catalogue of vices in the Teaching, and the Catalogue in the first chapter of Romans, are all derived from a lost aphabetical Catalogue of Sins" (Harris 1887, 86).

An important category of Hebraism to Harris is the demand that the prophet be subject to his own prophecies (Harris 1887, 87). This is a common thread in Hebrew thought. Furthermore, it is important that members of the community actually live in accord with the standards of doctrine and practice. This is a common theme in the Didache aid in Talmudic writings (Harris 1887, 88).

Harris further notes that the prayers articulated in the Didache are strongly Hebraic in nature (Harris 1887, 89). This is, for that matter, Harris' explanation of the didache's use of the word κλάσμα rather than ἄρτος. The Hebrew root for breaking is typically used in the Old Testament for a fragment of bread (Harris 1887, 89). Even the prayers relating the eucharist to the Son of David are reminiscent of Passover prayers (Harris 1887, 90).

Interpretive Challenges: The Search for a Key

8/11/2021

8/11/21
Tour of Christian History

Harris, J. Rendel. "Obscure Passages of the Teaching." The Teaching of the Apostles, newly edited, with facsimile text and a commentary, for the Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, from the MS. of the Holy Sepulchre (Convent of the Greek Church) Jerusalem. Baltimore: Publication Agency of the Johns Hopkins University, 1887, 62-77.

Harris views the text we have of the Didache to be a very clean and accurate text. However, there are several passages which scholars consider very difficult to interpret (Harris 1887, 62).

Possibly the most difficult statement is translated by Harris as, "but they that endure in their faith shall be saved by the very curse" (Harris 1887, 62). Harris suggests this represents a view of soteriology common in the early church. "It is not merely that the antidote grows near the poison, it grows on the same stem with the poison; that which damns turns into that which saves" (Harris 1887, 62). This was a common view in early Christian exegesis. Harris illustrates the concept using the role of the serpent in the early chapters of Genesis, becoming the sign lifted up to bring healing. The validity of the argument is attested by numerous Fathers (Harris 1887, 63-65). Similar types of exegesis are used to describe the pain and hope found in childbirth, as well as the woman's role in the Fall and in giving birth to the Redeemer (Harris 1887, 66-67). The bleeding of Christ and the drowning of the world in a flood are additional concepts for which this model of exegesis can be used well (Harris 1887, 67-68).

Didache 1.6 refers to allowing alms to "sweat" in your hands. Harris considers this to be a very cryptic statement (Harris 1887, 69). If, in fact, a curse can be turned to a blessing, this passage makes sense. Sweat is the curse of labor, but alms are the harvest. The giver is to be knowing about what (a gift of God) or to whom (a needy person) the gift is given (Harris 1887, 71).

Didache 11 makes a challenging statement about prophets and cosmic mysteries. Harris' question is just what "the cosmic mystery of the church" might be (Harris 1887, 72). Harris considers this to be explained by the fact that prophets did some things which otherwise would be prohibited. Perhaps they were participating in a cosmic mystery. This is the way Justin Martyr explains some prophetic actions to Trypho (Harris 1887, 72). Irenaeus also explains some of Moses' actions in this way (Harris 1887, 73).

Didache 16 speaks of an ἐκπέτασις (spreading out) in heaven (Harris 1887, 74). If the "spreading out" is seen as a spreading of a sign of a cross, the passage makes a great deal of sense. Matthew 24:30-31 as well as the Apostolical Constitutions book 7 use the term this way. Harris finds multiple instances in patristic literature for the "spreading out" to imply arms or wings spread in the shape of the cross (Harris 1887, 75-77).

Correcting a Text via References to It Elsewhere

8/9/2021

8/9/21
Tour of Christian History

Harris, J. Rendel. "Secondary Authorities for the Text." The Teaching of the Apostles, newly edited, with facsimile text and a commentary, for the Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, from the MS. of the Holy Sepulchre (Convent of the Greek Church) Jerusalem. Baltimore: Publication Agency of the Johns Hopkins University, 1887, 14-61.

Harris observes that in New Testament scholarship we often compare quotations to actual New Testament manuscripts. A survey of the Didache Jerusalem Codex and quotations or statements of parallel ideas in works considered to be related can be helpful in evaluating the text (Harris 1887, 15).

A Latin fragment published in 1747 contains a partial account of the Two Ways material (Harris 1887, 16). Unfortunately, the manuscript, possibly from the tenth century, went through a time when it could not be found, though some printed versions remained known. Subsequent to the Gebhardt-Harnack edition of the work, the manuscript was re-located. Harris provides a print version of the Latin text (Harris 1887, 16-17). Harris observes that some of the particularly Christian material (Didache 1:3-2:1) is omitted in the Latin fragment.

The Epistle of Barnabas also shows marks of the Two Ways material in the Didache. Harris considers it settled that the Didache and Barnabas drew on the same early source, rather than showing an influence of one on the other (Harris 1887, 18). Harris places parallel readings with each other to illustrate their similarities (Harris 1887, 18-20).

The Apostolic or Ecclesiastical Canons, published in 1843 and since, are very important in the work of comarpsion (Harris 1887, 21). This text notably circulates under various titles. In this work, ideas from Didache 1-6 are placed into the mouths of different apostles. Harris considers the work to have a strong dependence on Barnabas (Harris 1887, 21). Harris illustrates this dependence with several passages. He then provides a text of the portions which are parallel to the Didache (Harris 1887, 23-25).

Apostolical Constitutions book seven has some strong parallels. Harris reproduces that text in Greek (Harris 1887, 25-33).

Harris moves on to briefer passages in which early Fathers make quotations or references (Harris 1887, 33). The passages are quite brief. However, Harris considers them to show that the Didache was known to the Fathers and that they felt free to use the ideas (Harris 1887, 34).

Because Harris considers it clear that chapters 1-6 of the Didache were generally known in early Christianity, he broadens his search to "embrace also the liturgical (c. ix.) and eschatological (c. xvi.) portions of the Teaching" (Harris 1887, 35). He particularly looks at the author of 2 Clement, and asks also if it uses the passage (i.3-ii.1) "omitted in Brnabas and the Latin Version" (Harris 1887, 35). He concludes that the author was familiar with the entirety of the Didache, including that part omitted in Barnabas.

In the second century, Justin Martyr is an important figure, as he explains numerous difficult concepts from the Didache. Harris considers the most valuable material to be in his Dialogue with Trypho, which is "a discussion between a Christian and a Jew" (Harris 1887, 36). Harris provides examples from chapters 35 and 111.

Hermas also makes use of some of the ideas from the Didache, in Vis. iii.4 and Mand. ii (Harris 1887, 37). Again, it seems to Harris that Hermas knew the Didache, including the portions omitted in Barnabas and the Latin manuscript (Harris 1887, 38).

Harris refers briefly to allusions in Theophilus of Antioch and Clement of Alexandria (Harris 1887, 38). Tertullian and Dionysius of Alexandria possibly refer to the ideas but it is not clear to Harris whether they were actually familiar with the Didache (Harris 1887, 39).

Harris finds some evidence for an influence of the Didache on the Sibylline Oracles and Pseudo-Phocylides (Harris 1887, 40). He supplies a number of parallels, which are mostly quite brief (Harris 1887, 40-45). Harris does observe that Funk (Prolegomena to Doctrina XII. Apost., pp. xix-xxii) takes issue with Harris' evaluation of possible connections (Harris 1887, 45). Harris describes the disagreement in some detail.

Origen, in De Principiis iii.2 makes a reference to Barnabas, considering it Scripture, but also seems to consider the Didache in that category (Harris 1887, 47).

Harris catalogs numerous references in Apostolical Constitutions to the Didache (Harris 1887, 47-49).

Pseudo-Ignatius makes some reference to the Didache, one which Harris considers to be a strong indication that he was familiar with the Didache (Harris 1887, 49). Athanasius and Pseudo-Athanasius make many references (Harris 1887, 50-51), as does Lactantius (Harris 1887, 52).

Harris further considers that Pseudo-Cyprian (Harris 1887, 52), Dorotheus of Palestine (Harris 1887, 53), and the writer of the Clementine Homilies (Harris 1887, 53-54), as well as John Climacus (Harris 1887, 54) had exposure to the Didache.

Harris observes that because Barnabas uses the Didache extensively, quotes from the Didache are very important in confirming the text of Barnabas (Harris 1887, 55). Consistency between texts, however, is somewhat difficult to prove in most cases. Harris provides a few examples where an apparently stray word or phrase may help establish an authoritative text.

Harris next provides the full text of a Latin tract, Doctrina Severini Episcopi De Sapientibus (Harris 1887, 56-58). Much of the text and its organization appears to have been adopted directly from the Didache (Harris 1887, 58).

Harris concludes with a sermon by Boniface of Mainz (Harris 1887, 59-60). He notes in the margin the many references to the Didache.

To all this he appends quotations form Eusebius, Athanasius, Furinus, Nicephorus Constantinopolitanus, and a Catalogue of Canonical and other books in the Bodelian Library, noting whether they consider the Didache to be part of Scripture of not (Harris 1887, 61).

Description of Medieval Writing

8/6/2021

8/6/21
Tour of Christian History

Harris, J. Rendel. "Transcription of the Text." The Teaching of the Apostles, newly edited, with facsimile text and a commentary, for the Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, from the MS. of the Holy Sepulchre (Convent of the Greek Church) Jerusalem. Baltimore: Publication Agency of the Johns Hopkins University, 1887, 11-14.

Harris' final product does not entirely line up with his table of contents here. Beginning at page 11 he has a heading for commentary on the text. Consistent with his table of contents, we have reviewed his description of the text, which consumes pages 11-14. We will then move on to his catalog of secondary authorities.

The Greek manuscript is contained in the Jerusalem Codex, approximately 7.5x6", written in 1056. The manuscript contains a number of works including the Didache (Harris 1887, 11). "The text is full of tachygraphic signs" (Harris 1887, 12), which Harris considers a good exercise in the abbreviations common in Greek manuscripts. Harris briefly notes a few words which he considers to have been transcribed erroneously by Bryennios (Harris 1887, 12-13). We note there are rather few instances.
Harris does observe that there are several passages in which Bryennios and others have altered the text, normally to have a greater agreement with parallels in Apostolical Constitutions (Harris 1887, 13).
At the end of page 14, Harris continues with his section dealing with other works which shed light on the text.

Photography as Archive

8/5/2021

8/5/21
Tour of Christian History

Harris, J. Rendel. "Transcription of the Text." The Teaching of the Apostles, newly edited, with facsimile text and a commentary, for the Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, from the MS. of the Holy Sepulchre (Convent of the Greek Church) Jerusalem. Baltimore: Publication Agency of the Johns Hopkins University, 1887, 1-10.

Harris introduces his edition of the Didache by discussing the importance of making a photographic record of ancient manuscripts, and acknowledging the effort and collegiality which allowed Johns Hopkins to obtain and publish photographs of the Didache manuscript. His text is intended primarily to summarize scholarship between the original publication of the text in 1883 and the publication of his book in 1887.

The first chapter is taken up with a transcription of the text. He provides transcriptional correction notes in the margin and through footnotes (Harris 1887, 1-10).