medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Oh, no, you're reading _a_ right Gospel of Nicodemus. As I said, there
are lots of versions; it was just the texts I happened on briefly just
before I wrote, and not all texts, that don't name the patriarchs.
These were brief, as is also Sannazaro's passage in the _De Partu Virginis_.
Given the variety of ways in which the patriarchs are presented in
depictions or in verbal accounts of the harrowing, it seems clear that
for a writer the decision to individuate one or more of them (either by
naming or in some other fashion) was often a matter of choice. Ferrer,
one would think, didn't have to name the patriarchs in his sermon.
Several possible reasons for his having done so other than the one that
Alexandra has suggested come to mind, e.g., the use of specific detail
to vivify the account or the use of certain names because Ferrer liked
to say them. Whatever the actual reasons will have been, these are now
unverifiable. But Alexandra's suggestion that the Hebrew names will
have had special significance for Jews in the audience is certainly
worth considering as part of the sermon's likely effect, regardless of
Ferrer's unrecoverable though not unguessable rationale.
Best again
John Dillon
On Wednesday, April 6, 2005, at 0:01 am, Marjorie Greene wrote:
> Perhaps I'm not reading the right Gospel of Nicodemus, but in:
> http://www.ricter.com/wordline/nicod2.htm
> I found Adam (much mentioned), David, Esaias, Habacuc, Micheas,
> Enoch, Elias
> (of Chariot of Fire fame), and the Good Thief all playing roles in the
> Harrowing of Hell sequence.
> MG
>
> >From: Alexandra Guerson de Oliveira <[log in to unmask]>
> >Reply-To: medieval-religion - Scholarly discussions of medieval
> religious> culture <[log in to unmask]>
> >To: [log in to unmask]
> >Subject: Re: [M-R] Vicent Ferrer & Resurrection of Jesus
> >Date: Tue, 5 Apr 2005 18:51:02 -0400
> >
> >medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and
> culture>
> >That's interesting. I wonder if Ferrer is adapting the story to
> include the
> >patriarchs so he could reach the Jews who were no doubt part of his
> >audience... I wonder if this has any history in apologetic
> writings...>
> >Alexandra
> >
> >
> >On 5/4/05 18:29, "John Dillon" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> >
> > > medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and
> >culture
> > >
> > > This is from the _Descensus ad Inferos_ (DI; the "Harrowing of
> Hell")> > in the _Evangelium Nicodemi_ to which Patricia referred.
> There are
> > > lots of different versions: for a survey, see Zbigniew
> Izydorczyk, "The
> > > _Evangelium Nicodemi_ in the Latin Middle Ages," in idem, ed.,
> _The> > Medieval Gospel of Nicodemus: Texts, Intertexts, and
> Contexts in
> > > Western Europe_ (Tempe, AZ: MRTS, 1997), pp. 21-101 (versions
> in other
> > > languages are treated elsewhere in this volume).
> > >
> > > While you were answering Patricia I quickly read some English-
> language> > translations of DI texts on-line and found none that
> named the
> > > patriarchs, etc. The treatment I'm most familiar with, Sannazaro,
> > > _DPV_ 1. 225ff., names none and identifies David (by attribute)
> only> > because S. puts a major prophetic speech into D.'s mouth.
> > >
> > > Best,
> > > John Dillon
> > >
> > >
> > > On Tuesday, April 5, 2005, at 4:37 pm, Alexandra Guerson de
> Oliveira> > wrote:
> > >
> > >>> I'm working on a paper on Vicent Ferrer's sermons and I came
> > >> across an
> > >> interesting story of Christ's resurrection. On an Easter
> Sunday sermon
> > >> Ferrer weaves passages from the Psalms to demonstrate how
> Christ's> >> resurrection had been desired by not only the saints
> and the
> > >> angels but also
> > >> by all the main Jewish patriarchs and Old Testament leaders.
> Among> >> those who
> > >> begged Christ to resurrect, Ferrer lists Matusalem, Melquisedec,
> > >> Abraham,Isaac, Jacob, Aaron "& the holy priests", David "with the
> > >> other holy kings
> > >> and princes" . Even the women are not forgotten: Eve, Sarah &
> > >> Rebbeca are
> > >> also said to have asked Christ to rise again and intercede for
> > >> them. In the
> > >> end, it is Jesus's resurrection that opens the gates of heaven
> > >> (which of
> > >> course had been closed when Adam & Eve were kicked out) to these
> > >> illustriouspersonages.
> > >>
> > >> Does any of this sound familiar? I'm wondering where Ferrer
> took this
> > >> particular story from...
> > >
> > >
> **********************************************************************
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