I think the name Bar-Timaeus is a reference to Plato. Bar-Timaeus is not a generic name like John, but a pretty unusual and specific one. Timaeus was basically the third most well known Greek book at the time after the Iliad and the Odyssey. So it's a bit like calling a character Frodu Buggins today. What could it possibly be a reference to?
I think what Mark is trying to say is that the sons of Timaeus (those who read Plato) are blind. He's making a jab at Plato by basically saying "If you read Timaeus then you might as well be blind". So the character represents platoists and possibly gentile philosophy schools in general. You need to cast those philosophies aside like a cloak and follow Jesus instead. That's how you obtain sight. He's using blindness as a metaphore similar to how the song Amazing Grace does (I was lost, but now I'm found, was blind, but now I see).
So like most of Mark's gospels the segment is operating at multiple different layers. The outsider intepretation (Jesus heals the blind) and the insider interpretation (Christianity heals ignorance among gentiles).
I otherwise agree with your take that he's also making a dichotomy between the sons of Timaeus and the son of David, gentile and jew. Mark's religion are not just recruiting jews, they are also recruiting gentiles.
I think what Mark is trying to say is that the sons of Timaeus (those who read Plato) are blind. He's making a jab at Plato by basically saying "If you read Timaeus then you might as well be blind". So the character represents platoists and possibly gentile philosophy schools in general. You need to cast those philosophies aside like a cloak and follow Jesus instead. That's how you obtain sight. He's using blindness as a metaphore similar to how the song Amazing Grace does (I was lost, but now I'm found, was blind, but now I see).
So like most of Mark's gospels the segment is operating at multiple different layers. The outsider intepretation (Jesus heals the blind) and the insider interpretation (Christianity heals ignorance among gentiles).
I otherwise agree with your take that he's also making a dichotomy between the sons of Timaeus and the son of David, gentile and jew. Mark's religion are not just recruiting jews, they are also recruiting gentiles.
Statistics: Posted by TheCourier — Sat Dec 14, 2024 7:57 am