In the 1950s, in a library in Bethlehem, a Columbia University professor named Morton Smith either discovered or forged a copy of a letter — or discovered a forged copy of a letter — that was supposedly from the 2nd century. No matter its provenance, the document has been lost since the ’90s, and Smith is long dead. Either way, the letter was written by Clement of Alexandria, and it described a never-before-seen, longer, and more spiritual Gospel of Mark than what is found in the Bible.
The Biblical Mark describes a potentially homoerotic moment in 14:51-52. In the broader story, these two lines come out of nowhere and seemingly explain nothing: “And there followed him a certain young man, having a linen cloth cast about his naked body; and the young men laid hold on him: And he left the linen cloth, and fled from them naked.” What does this mean?
The purpose of Clement’s letter was to rebut certain libertines of Alexandria who were filling in the blanks with something saucy. Clement denies that there is a secret gospel that contains the words “naked man with naked man,” as had been rumored, and for proof, he quotes the secret gospel itself: he proves that it exists in order to show that there’s nothing more there.
Funny enough, as some have pointed out, his quotation adds what could be a sultry new element: in the secret gospel, rather than fleeing, the scantily clad youth “remained with him that night, for Jesus taught him the mystery of the kingdom of God.” He said it wasn’t, but… doth Clement protest too much?
Not in my humble opinion. Forgery or not, the letter was from the perspective of a successful theologian, and I think it’s far more likely that he meant what he said than that he was, in the modern parlance, shit-posting to drum up interest in his email newsletter.