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Un authorized E-Texts
On Feb. 15th while searching through the Gophers I came across material on
E-Texts from the Univ. of Michigan that had been worked on by me and was
entered without my knowledge, consent, or authorization. The material was
under the heading Gnostic Texts. I have discovered how it was falsely
entered and it has been removed.
The material represents work I was doing over the summer at a Michigan
computing center, that was taken off the main frame and entered unknown to
me (This shows a lack of scruples on the part of the archivist at E-Texts,
but I am a forgiving man).
Anyone familiar with the originals of the texts will notice some obvious
peculiarities. The material represents not a finished product intended for
E-Text archiving, but a rough draft stole and entered without consent or
knowledge. ( I wonder how often this happened in the 1st-3rd centuries?)
I have been revising the material since this summer when it was
clandestinely entered and have completely new versions of the material;
those interested can contact me. However for those who received the material
(291 people total according to the archivist) I feel you deserve a small
explanation.
1) The material was not entered by me nor did I want it to be, and it is a
very rough draft never intened for publication.
2) The material is not suppose to represent he status of the Coptic texts
discovered at Nag Hammadi, and is not intended for Paprylogical,
Philological, or epigraphic work. Nor is it intended to be used for most
historical studies of Gnosticism or Early Christianity.
3) All the chapter and verse arrangements are from me, there are none in the
Originals.
4) All of the restorations, interpolations, and emendations are from me,
especially in the Dialogue of the Savior. I have put the material through
several recessions since the summer, anyone interested in my work can
contact me. Anyone with any alternative restoration, I would love to see it,
if you donUt like my early version, donUt just snivel, what is your
restoration? (vindictiveness is easy therapeutics are much more difficult).
My intention was not to repair the original Papyrus fragment, but to pry
back to the Greek tradition (not Greek Papyrus) from which the Texts
emerged. Therefore Do not take the restorations as an attempt and Papyrus
repair. In addition my extensive footnotes did not appear.
5) The re-titling of the Odes of Solomon to the Odes of Simon of Cyrene is
my idea. I am currently working on a paper that traces the use of the Odes
by early Christian sects that expouned the Cyrenien heresy.
6) The emendation of the teaching of Silvanus title, to Paul, was from me.
7) The tentative attribution of the Gospel of Philip to Nathaniel is from
me. I am currently researching the origins of early portions of the Gospel
of Philip, and possible relations to Late Johnanine communities. I see
Nathaniel as a fictional character who was a member of the late Johnanine
community when Chap 21 was written. I believe this individual may have been
involved with the earliest portions of the Gospel of Philip. Anyone who wish
my ideas on the matter can contact me.
While I was at first irritated and startled to find that a fellow grad
student of mine at Michigan would do such a think, upon further reflection I
see the entire thing as an act of Providence. I am hoping to eventually
publish my material with complete explanation, introductions and a complete
concordence; and I am happy to talk with anyone who might be able to assist
in this matter. I did not put the material into the Archives, and it is not
my intention to deceive or confuse anyone of the 291 people who happened to
order it. My work is not an attempt at archeologically accurate
translations of the material, in fact I am trying to pioneer work in a
different direction; unfortunately my rough draft was RleakedS. I hope those
who received the material will not hold me nor my reputation accountable. If
you know anyone who obtained the material please inform them of what has
occurred here at the Univ. of Michigan (the home of E-Texts). And anyone who
wishs to see what I have done with the material since the summer when it was
bootlegged can contact me.
Donald.Harrison.Jr@um.cc.umich.edu
(313) 994-2557-home
(313) 747-0618-office
Thanks for your understanding......