The Christ: A Critical Review and Analysis of the Evidences of His ExistenceRemsburg, John E. (John Eleazer)
Religion
The Christ: A Critical Review and Analysis of the Evidences of His Existence
Remsburg, John E. (John Eleazer)
Jesus Christ -- Historicity; Jesus Christ -- Rationalistic interpretations; Rationalism
"But this younger Ananus, who, as we have told you already, took the
high priesthood, was a bold man in his temper and very insolent; he was
also of the sect of Sadducees, who are very rigid in judging offenders,
above all of the rest of the Jews, as we have already observed; when,
therefore, Ananus was of this disposition, he thought he had now a
proper opportunity. Festus was dead, and Albinus was but upon the
road; so he assembled the Sanhedrim of judges and brought before them
the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ, whose name was James,
and some others; and when he had formed an accusation against them
as breakers of the law, he delivered them to be stoned" (Antiquities,
Book XX, chap. ix, sec. 1).
This passage is probably genuine with the exception of the clause,
"who was called Christ," which is undoubtedly an interpolation, and
is generally regarded as such. Nearly all the authorities that I have
quoted reject it. It was originally probably a marginal note. Some
Christian reader of Josephus believing that the James mentioned was the
brother of Jesus made a note of his belief in the manuscript before
him, and this a transcriber afterward incorporated with the text,
a very common practice in that age when purity of text was a matter
of secondary importance.
The fact that the early fathers, who were acquainted with Josephus,
and who would have hailed with joy even this evidence of Christ's
existence, do not cite it, while Origen expressly declares that
Josephus has not mentioned Christ, is conclusive proof that it did
not exist until the middle of the third century or later.
Those who affirm the genuineness of this clause argue that the James
mentioned by Josephus was a person of less prominence than the Jesus
mentioned by him, which would be true of James, the brother of Jesus
Christ. Now some of the most prominent Jews living at this time were
named Jesus. Jesus, the son of Damneus, succeeded Ananus as high
priest that very year; and Jesus, the son of Gamaliel, a little later
succeeded to the same office.
To identify the James of Josephus with James the Just, the brother
of Jesus, is to reject the accepted history of the primitive church
which declares that James the Just died in 69 A. D., seven years
after the James of Josephus was condemned to death by the Sanhedrim.
Whiston himself, the translator of Josephus, referring to the event
narrated by the Jewish historian, admits that James, the brother of
Jesus Christ, "did not die till long afterward."
The brief "Discourse Concerning Hades," appended to the writings of
Josephus, is universally conceded to be the product of some other
writer--"obviously of Christian origin"--says the "Encyclopedia
Britannica."
Tacitus.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account