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"On this day of Sunday hope and encouragement came to us because the living rose from the house of the dead and put to shame those who crucified him. On Sunday, that great day, rose from within the grave and ascended and sat down on high at the right hand of him who sent him." [Bu'oto of Mar Ephrem Shehimo p. 349]
The original source is here. I bet my life that the last words 'him who sent him' is from the same root as 'apostle.' As such I suspect the same concept represented for the Marcionites 'the apostle' rising as the Paraclete and ascending to the throne here on earth.
As I said I bet my life ...
I also bet that the original Syriac 'on high' became translated as 'ascended to heaven' by the later Greek Church. Of course it COULD BE the implied meaning. However this is the cleverness of many of the changes made to the original doctrine by the Catholic Church. They attempt to take the inherent ambiguity of the Aramaic language with solid concepts like 'heaven' when the original text only says that the guy who was once 'down below' rose - like the sun - 'up high' meaning here on earth.
I will track down a Syriac original of this prayer but this is a big discovery. Very, very big and I think it was paralleled in the conclusion of the gospel i.e. no mention of 'ascending to heaven' only being enthroned 'on high.'
Compare another of Ephrem's Commentary on the Diatessaron XXI.33:
Seeing that a pledge of life had been taken by Him from those subjected to death, and from (human) nature over which death had come to reign, He was raised up and He enthroned him, the hostage from those below, at the right hand; and he furthermore sent them a true pledge from his own nature, (namely) the Spirit, the Paraclete (as) the pledge of life. (original source here)
Now if you want speculation, consider this. Agrippa said that he was 'resurrected' from the grave, returned from the dead in the exact same year, month and day as the Passion (Philo, Gaius). He also ascended to the throne in the same (Jubilee) year AND - most importantly - can be identified as the 'apostolos' in the rabbinic tradition who 'put to shame' the Jewish people during the desecration of the Temple in 70 CE.
Yes, it's speculation. Yes, it's not what most would consider absolutely 'proof.' However, as I said, it is getting more interesting all the time.
In the meantime why don't you read my book for a fuller discussion of these things?
If you are interested in reading how this observation fits within my greater understanding of the workings of Secret Mark WITHIN the contemporary Alexandrian Church please go here
If you want to read more about how Alexandrian Christianity was rooted in the Jewish traditions of Alexandria, Philo of Alexandria and more feel free to purchase my new book here
