A Gospel Hoax?

In a column in The New York Times (March 31, 2007) Peter Steinfels revisits a controversy that has divided New Testament scholars for decades: Did Morton Smith, the late Columbia University professor and an acknowledged giant in the field of ancient history, forge a document that seems to describe a shocking passage in a “secret” version of the Gospel of Mark? Two recent books say “Yes,” but a third volume strongly answers “No.” The author of that third book, Scott Brown, of the University of Toronto, detailed his defense of Smith in a BAR article, “The Secret Gospel of Mark,” which you can read by clicking here:

The Secret Gospel of Mark: Is It Real? And Does It Identify “Bethany beyond the Jordan”?By Scott Brown