chapter five
First, in several studies on theDiatessaron, it has been suggested that
Tatian’s harmony was based on Justin’s earlier Greek harmony which
did not include Johannine parts. This theory has been convincingly
defended by William L. Petersen.^37 Thus, the compositional agreements
between Origen’s passage and theDiatessaronmay very well be based
on a common Greek harmonistic tradition that Tatian and the composer
of Origen’s passage were using independently.^38 Tatian was using Justin
but in the case of the composer of Origen’s passage, a dependence on
harmonizing traditions that preceded Justin is more likely, as will become
clear below (Chapter .)
Second, two detailed observations made in the course of the above
analysis can now be explained in the light of Justin’s harmony and
harmonizing traditions that preceded it. In another context, Petersen has
argued that the wording of Jesus’ reply in the Lawyer’s Question in the
Diatessaronwas similar to that in Justin’s harmony.^39 If this is correct,
then it is easy to understand why allusions to the Lawyer’s Question
in Origen’s passage can agree with both the Old Syriac translations
(consulted by the Syriac translator of the Jewish-Christian harmony) and
with the Diatessaronic version (which would go back to Justin’s harmony
and the traditions he used). It was also noted above that there are only two
synoptic expressions for which there are no parallels in the Diatessaronic
witnesses. The first one was the Lukan participlefacienswhich could
not be expressed in Syriac, and the second one was the verbdivide,for
which there were parallels in the Old Latin manuscriptsa(distribute)
andk(divide), and in the Greek group of f^13 .Notably,itispreciselyink
where Petersen finds, in the case of Lawyer’s Question, a Diatessaronic
reading that goes back to Justin’s harmony. Thus, it is quite possible that
alsodivide,foundinbothkand Origen’s passage, is based on an early
harmonistic tradition related to Justin’s harmony.
(^37) Petersen , –, .
(^38) TheGospel of the Ebionitesalso contains Diatessaronic readings and shares some
traditions with Justin. For instance, the story about Jesus’ baptism that Epiphanius cites
from theGospel of the Ebionites(Pan. ..–) includes a reference to a great light that
was seen around the place of Jesus’ baptism. Justin already knew this reading (Dial. .)
and it was also in Tatian’sDiatessaron. For the tradition history of the reading, see Petersen
, –. Petersen takes this as an evidence that Jewish-Christian gospel fragments
would ultimately go back to only one Jewish-Christian gospel. In my view differences
in the accounts of Jesus baptism do not allow such conclusion; there were at least two
different gospels. Nevertheless, we do not have to go as far as H.-J. Klauck who argues
that the baptismal accounts presume three different gospels. See above Chapter ...
(^39) Petersen , –.