Joset O’Callaghan Martínez
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Dr. Joset O´Callaghan Martínez (October 7, 1922 - December 15, 2001) was a Catalan scholar on papyrus and paleography, especially known for his identification of the 7Q5 papyrus of Qumran with a text of Mark 6, 52-53.
He was born in Tortosa, Tarragona, Spain in 1922 and joined the Jesuits on October 29, 1940. He was ordained on May 31, 1952. Bachellor in Theology from the S. Cugat del Vallés, Barcelona in 1953, Doctor in Philosophy and Literature from the Universidad de Madrid in 1959, Doctor in Clasic Literature from the Università di Milano in 1960. He was professor of the Faculty of Theology of S. Cugat del Vallés (1961 - 1971), Barcelona, where he founded the School of Papyri Studies (Seminario de Papirología). In 1971 he joined the Pontificio Istituto Biblico in Rome (1971 - 1992). In 1980 he returned to Barcelona as professor of Textual reviews with Dr. R.P. Pierre Proulx. He was dean of the Biblical Faculty (1983 - 1986). He founded the Studia Papirologica publication. He died in December 15, 2001.
[edit] 7Q5
Dr. O'Callaghan became famous for his identification of a small papyrus from Cave 7 of Qumran named by the editors as "7Q5" (Cave 7 + Qumran + Papyrus 5). It was stated before his identification that there were not texts of the New Testament in no cave of the Qumran complex. Pretentions that the caves of the Dead Sea could hold documents of the early Christian communities were hold as navï and even absurd.
Dr. O'Callaghan did not intend to look for papyri of the New Testament, but his interest was to try identifications in the fragments that the editors could not fully clarify. The results of his proves with the small fragment brought him to the conclusion that 7Q5 could be a fragment of the Gospel of Mark and he published his investigation in 1972 in his work "¿Papiros neotestamentarios en la cueva 7 de Qumrân?" (New Testament Papyri in Cave 7 at Qumran?). The reaction of the scholars, especially those of the Bible studies, came against Dr.O'Callaghan. Such identification was hold as another groundness claim. The career of the Catalan scholar was practically isolated until 1982 when Dr.Carsten Peter Thiede reviewed the researchs of O'Callaghan. Thiede came to the conclusion that the O'Callaghan´s proposals were not illogic and his scientist method was serious and possible. Thiede revived the discussion again in his work "The Earliest Gospel Manuscript?" 1982.
[edit] Works
- Las tres categorías estéticas de la cultura clásica, Madrid, 1960, 288 pgs.
- Cartas cristianas griegas del siglo V, Barcelon, 1963, 251 pgs.
- Studia Papirologica.
- ¿Papiro neotestamentarios en la cueva 7 de Qumrán? Biblica, 1972. Roma. pp. 91-100
- Notas sobre 7Q tomadas en el "Rockefeller Museum" de Jerusalén. Biblica, 1972. Roma. Pp. 517-536
