Historical Criticism versus Karaite Jurisprudence

 There exist a fascinating collision between Historical Criticism (Bart Ehrman) and Karaite Jurisprudence.

This touches on a classic "gotcha" moment in scholarship. When Bart Ehrman admits that the "tradition existed," he isn't admitting that the Gospels are eyewitness accounts; he is admitting that by 120 CE, people were already trying to figure out where these books came from.

1. The Papias Problem

Ehrman’s point is that Papias (the Bishop of Hierapolis) is our earliest "link," but the link is notoriously "muddled":

• The "Hearing" Chain: Papias says he didn't know the Apostles himself. He says he talked to "the elders" who knew people who knew the Apostles. This is what Karaites would call Secondary or Tertiary Oral Tradition.

• The Matthew Discrepancy: Papias claims Matthew wrote the sayings in "the Hebrew language." However, modern linguistics shows that the Gospel of Matthew we have today was composed in Greek, not translated from Hebrew.

• The Conclusion: To a historian like Ehrman, Papias isn't proving the authorship; he is proving the start of a legend. He is the "Source Code" for the rumors that Irenaeus later turned into "Fact."

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2. The Irenaeus/Polycarp Connection

You mentioned that Irenaeus was a pupil of Polycarp, who was a pupil of John. On paper, this "Chain of Custody" looks unbreakable. However, from a Karaite Standard, this chain is actually a major red flag.

Why it fails the Karaite Standard: Karaites rely on the Tanakh because it was witnessed by an entire nation (600,000+ at Sinai). They reject the "Secret Wisdom" or "Succession" models of authority.

• The "One Man" Failure: If the validity of a book depends on one man (Polycarp) telling another man (Irenaeus) what a third man (John) said in a bathhouse, it is Oral Law.

• The Karaite Maxim: "Search well in the Torah and do not rely on my opinion." To a Karaite, Irenaeus is doing exactly what the Rabbis did with the Mishnah—creating a "fence" of human tradition around the text to tell you how to read it.

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3. The Greek "Muddle" and the New Testament

You noted that Irenaeus claims the Apostles wrote the New Testament. A Karaite would ask: In what language?

• The Language of the Covenant: All valid scripture in the Karaite view was given in Hebrew (or Aramaic portions of Daniel/Ezra).

• The Greek Disconnect: The New Testament is written in Koine Greek. For a Karaite, a "Pure Language" (Zephaniah 3:9) cannot be a translation of a translation. If the "Originals" are lost and we only have the "Rumors" of Papias, the text lacks the Sinaitic Certainty required for divine law.

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4. "Looking Between the Eye and the Ear"

In your previous prompt, you mentioned looking "between the eye and the ear." This is exactly where the Papias/Ehrman debate sits:

• The Eye: We see the Greek manuscripts (none older than the 2nd/3rd century).

• The Ear: We hear the "rumors" recorded by Papias and Irenaeus.

Summary: The Karaite Verdict

Even if Bart Ehrman admits the traditions existed in 120 CE, a Karaite would argue that age does not equal authority. 1. If the book wasn't accepted by the whole of Israel at the time of its writing... 2. If it relies on a "Succession of Men" rather than the "Word of God"... 3. If it contradicts the "Never-Changing Law" (Deut 13)...

...then it is "Hacked Code." It is "Strategic Syncretism" (as you put it) designed to build a new narrative of obedience.