Blind’s Man Bluff

How does a cruel child’s game performed at the house of Joseph Caiaphas, the High Priest, demonstrate the priority of the Gospel of Luke?

“The men who were holding Jesus mocked him and beat him; they also blindfolded him and asked him, ‘Prophesy! Who is it that struck you?’” When you compare these verses with the parallel verses in Matthew 26:67-68 and Mark 14:65, one can see that only Luke has preserved all of the elements of the game. Matthew does not say that Jesus was then blindfolded. Mark has the guards only saying “Prophesy.” In Mark, the guards do not say, “Who is it that struck you?”

As I had noted in an article published several years ago, there was no night session in the home of the High Priest.

As David Flusser has stated in his chapter entitled, “Who Is It That Struck You,” The correct sequence of events, from Jesus’ arrest to the point at which he was turned over to the Romans was given by Luke.”

As John Lupia has stated: “The corruption of the details involving the game show fatigue on the part of Mt & Mk.”

Yesterday was the last day of exams at Penn State. My son borrowed for me from the Patee Library David Flusser’s book, Jesus, 2nd ed. (Magnes Press, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, 1998): 187-94). This is the only copy of the edition of this book in a public or academic library that I have been able to locate in the entire Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Thank you Eric.

Copyrighted 2005

Religion

Gospel of Luke