Candida Moss: Intertextual Impossibilities and the Dating of the Martyrdom of Polycarp

Of the early Christian martyrdom accounts, the Martyrdom of Polycarp holds a place of particular honor. Not only is the text treated as the first example of the martyrdom genre, it plays a critical role in the dating of canonical texts, the formation of canon, and the development of other external Christian phenomenon. Within the text itself, the repeated allusions to the passion narratives and presentation of Polycarp’s martyrdom as being “in accordance with gospel” have prompted scholars to read the account as an interpretation of the death of Jesus. The nature of this interpretation, however, is highly debated and has formed the basis for arguments about the authenticity of the account. This paper will explore the way that scholarly assumptions about intertextuality, literary fabrication, and canonicity have influenced and shaped scholarly treatments of the Martyrdom of Polycarp. In particular, it will argue that arguments for the authenticity and early dating of the account have been supported by flawed assumptions about the way that intertextuality and scriptural allusion function in early Christian literature. Once these assumptions are put to one side, the dating of the account becomes more uncertain.