chapter four
F. Stanley Jones dates the Pseudo-Clementine source ofRec. :–
, which is clearly connected to theGospel of the Ebionites(see above
Chapter ..), to around ce and locates it “quite possibly” in Judaea
or Jerusalem because of its interest in the land of Israel.^25 However,
Richard Bauckham has correctly noted that such an interest might also
be characteristic of people who were exiled from the land.^26
As regards the textual history of the Codex Bezae, it is interesting
to note that David C. Parker locates the genesis of the manuscript in
Berytus. According to Parker, the Codex Bezae, which has both the
Greek and Latin text, would have been copied by a Latin-speaking scribe,
possibly a lawyer, shortly before the year . The codex was produced so
as to be used by the Latin-speaking Christians that were drawn to Berytus
by its famous law school.^27 Because the manuscript was copied from
exemplars already themselves bilingual, Parker suggests that its traditions
were formed in the early part of the third century when the law school—
founded in the late second century^28 —had already gained a footing in
the region.^29
Parker’s reconstruction places the Codex Bezae approximately in the
same geographical area where theGospel of the EbionitesandRec. .–
were composed. The time of composition could also be estimated
as approximately the second century in all cases. Thus, it seems that,
at some point in the second century or at the beginning of the third
century, Luke’s description of the Last Supper was abbreviated in the
circles that found its references to Jesus’ blood of atonement offensive.
Because the part that was removed from Luke exemplifies a Pauline
understanding of the Eucharist, it is most probable that the theologian
who was responsible for the deletion was closely connected to the Jewish
Christians who the church fathers labelled the Ebionites. Their gospel
could not have contained that kind of description and they were also
already known in the second century as a group that repudiated Paul
(Irenaeus,Haer. ..; EusebiusHist. eccl. ..; JeromeComm. Matt.
.).
(^25) Jones , –.
(^26) Bauckham , .
(^27) Parker , . The Alands suggest that the text was written in either Egypt or
elsewhere in North Africa. See Aland & Aland , .
(^28) Parker , .
(^29) Parker , , –, –.