Response (1) to Marvin Meyer: The Thirteenth Daimon
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I am happy to see Professor Meyer offer his reflections on the Gospel of Judas, responding critically to me. You can find his response "The Thirteenth Daimon," on his new website. Let me take the points he raises and reflect upon each one. I will post separately on each issue as time permits. This means that you might have to read them in ascending order.
1. A small but important point. My interpretation is not revisionist. There was never an opportunity granted to scholars worldwide to discuss this text and settle on a consensus. What happened is that National Geographic had a monopoly on the text, published their interpretation, had a media machine that made it appear that their reading of the text was and should be it. Once other scholars had the opportunity to study the text this last year and begin to get their opinions into print (which normally takes a year) we are seeing that the NGS interpretation is NOT the consensus, and the type of interpretation I am in favor of is supported by a growing number of scholars who are initially publishing their takes on this text. It will be several years before we can determine what (if any) will be the consensus let alone what is revisionist.
1. A small but important point. My interpretation is not revisionist. There was never an opportunity granted to scholars worldwide to discuss this text and settle on a consensus. What happened is that National Geographic had a monopoly on the text, published their interpretation, had a media machine that made it appear that their reading of the text was and should be it. Once other scholars had the opportunity to study the text this last year and begin to get their opinions into print (which normally takes a year) we are seeing that the NGS interpretation is NOT the consensus, and the type of interpretation I am in favor of is supported by a growing number of scholars who are initially publishing their takes on this text. It will be several years before we can determine what (if any) will be the consensus let alone what is revisionist.