In a message dated 03/01/01 19:09:50 GMT Standard Time, ccogan@telepath.com
writes:
> When did Josephus allegedly write the TF and the other quote?
93AD I think.
> Christianity,
> as a religion, was around before the final edition of the New Testament
was
> put together, so mightn't Josephus simply have heard stories that
> originated from Christians?
Possibly. I think one of the reasons that it isn't viewed as just stories is
the
other shorter reference, and also the language, much of which is not
"Christian" in nature.
> Where did he supposedly get *his* evidence? I
> ask because it seems an obviously relevant consideration, and because,
even
> today, we hear all sorts of marvelous stories that turn out to be nothing
> more than the kind of memetic hokum that grows in any culture of credulous
> people (such as ours).
I don't think this is known.
> Even if we assume that Josephus wrote *exactly* what is attributed to him,
> and wrote it during the time that Jesus supposedly lived, it still does
not
> seem like very good evidence for the reality of Jesus,
Josephus has a good though not perfect reputation. I *think* it's sufficient
to establish the reality of the existence of a Jesus.
> and even less good
> as evidence for Jesus's supposed marvels, and certainly not good evidence
> for any claim that Jesus was somehow associated with any God that we might
> assume to have existed at the time, and absolutely worthless as evidence
> that there *is* such a God.
But not that particular Jesus :)
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Wed Jan 03 2001 - 15:12:40 EST