Misquoting Jesus : The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why ![](http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=stockmarketselec&l=ur2&o=1)
Philo ,
a renowned Jewish writer who was born before the beginning of the
Christian Era, and lived in Jerusalem before, during and after the
time Jesus is supposed to have lived preached and died, and
who chronicled everything and anything of the most minuscule
importance that he observed or heard of, never once mentioned the
name of, or any deed that can be connected with Jesus. Philo
however, popularized and employed the term Logos in his
effort to synthesize Hebrew traditions and Hellenistic Platonism.
According to Philo, the Logos is a mediating principle between God
and the world and can be understood as God's Word or the Divine Wisdom,
which is immanent in the world. Philo's definition of
the Logos can easily be reconciled to the both traditional
and Gnostic representations of Jesus Christ - who has been referred to
as the Logos.
The Book of John for instance describes Jesus Christ as the Logos
made incarnate, [the Greek word logos being translated as "word"
in the English Bible] "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God. . . . And the Word became flesh and
dwelt among us . . ." (John 1:1-3, 14).
-
Cornelius Tacitus
55 - 120 A.D - Roman historian described as the greatest
historian of Rome, noted for integrity and moral uprightness.
His most famous works are the
The Annals of Imperial Rome
and The Histories The Annals
relate the historical narrative from Emperor Augustus’ death in
A.D.14 to Nero’s death in A.D. 68. The Histories begin after Nero’s
death and finish in 96 AD . Tacticus Mentions a man he calls Chrestus who was
executed by Pilate, the procurator of Judea during the reign of the Roman emperor
Tiberias. - He mentions him in passing , and this reference is made
around the time of Nero's persecution of the Christians. His
information is most likely attained from the second hand , word of
mouth from Christians of the Time, and those speaking of Christians.
Suetonius
- Roman historian and a court official in Emperor Hadrian’s
government. In his Life of Claudius he refers to Claudius expelling
Jews from Rome on account of their activities on behalf of a man Suetonius calls Chrestus .
Pliny the Younger
was the Governor of a Roman Province in present day Turkey
about 100 years after Christ. He was responsible for executing
Christians for not worshipping or bowing down to a statue of the
emperor Trajan. In a letter to the emperor Trajan, he describes how
the people on trial for being Christians would describe how they
sang songs to Christ because he was a god.
Saint Paul
writings
attributed to Paul [St.Paul
/ Pol ] reveal next to nothing of the historical Jesus. Some
scholars have speculated that Paul knew nothing of Jesus' historical
life, his birth, or death. .
G.A. Wells
for instance believes that Paul may have thought of Jesus as a Godly
being who led a very obscure life , ended by crucifixion, perhaps
even centuries before Paul's own time [Paul was a contemporary
of the Historical Jesus]. Paul and other drafters of New Testament were
not particularly interested in historic facts.
" The Gospels are not history; they are
religious propaganda, contradictory, exaggerated, and mythical. The
earliest Christian writings, the letters of Paul, are silent about the
man Jesus: Paul, who never met Jesus, fails to mention a single deed or
saying of Jesus (except for the ritualistic Last Supper formula), and
sometimes contradicts what Jesus supposedly said. To Paul, Jesus was a
heavenly disembodied Christ figure, not a man of flesh and blood."
[Dan Barker ,
a former ordained Protestant minister ]
Jesus as per Flavius Josephus
Flavius Josephus was a Jewish historian who was born in 37 AD.
Josephus does make mention of John the Baptist, but
does not mention Jesus in connection with him. He mentions the Pharisees,
the Sadducees, Pontius Pilate, and James the brother of Jesus. He also
mentions the Essenes - a strict religious sect that founded the Qumran
community [Also known as Damascus], where the Dead Sea Scrolls were
found.
In his book,
Antiquities of the Jews ,
Jesus is described as a wise man crucified by Pilate. This
passage , known as Testimonium Flavianum has been the subject of
extensive scholarly debate.
"About this time there lived Jesus, a
wise man, if indeed one ought to call him a man. For he was one who
wrought surprising feats and as a teacher of such people as accept
the truth gladly. He won over many Jews and many of the Greeks. He
was the Messiah. When Pilate, upon hearing him accused by men of the
highest standing amongst us, had condemned him to be crucified,
those who had in the first place come to love him did not give up
their affection for him. On the third day he appeared to them
restored to life, for the prophets of God had prophesied these and
countless other marvelous things about him. And the tribe of the
Christians, so called after him, has still to this day not
disappeared."
However, there is good reason to believe that the paragraph in which he describes Jesus is
partly or completely a later forgery . The passage appears completely
out of context, breaking the flow of the narrative, and is completely
unrelated to the previous and subsequent sentence's. The
Testimonium Flavianum, as the above passage has been come to be called
is cited by Christian propagandists as confirmation of Jesus' existence
. In addition ..
- Early Christian Church father Origen claims that Josephus didn't
recognize Jesus as a Messiah, in direct contradiction to the above
passage, where Josephus says, "He was the Messiah." Thus, we may
conclude that this particular phrase was a later insertion.
- Other early Christian writers never cite this passage, even
though it would have suited their purposes
- The passage is extremely pro-Christian. Josephus, a
Pharisaic Jew, probably wouldn't write a complimentary passage about
a man killed for blasphemy.
Most Biblical scholars reject the entire Testimonium Flavianum as a
later Christian insertion. However, some maintain that Josephus's work
originally did refer to Jesus, but that Christian copyists later
expanded and made the text more favorable to Jesus. These scholars cite
such phrases as "tribe of Christians" and "wise man" as being untypical
Christian usages, but plausible if coming from a first century
Palestinian Jew. Of course, a suitably clever Christian wishing to
"dress up" Josephus would not have much trouble imitating his style.
Jesus is mentioned again in the writings of Josephus, in the
Antiquities, Book 20, 200. James, the Brother of Jesus is also
mentioned.
"Convened the Sanhedrin (the highest Jewish
religious court / governing body). He had brought before them the
brother of Jesus the so-called Christ, who was called James, and some
other men, whom he accused of having broken the law, and handed them
over to be stoned."
Other
Jesus characters bear a
resemblance to the Historical Jesus Christ. , they are cataloged below
.
- The First is Jesus
of Gamala a Wealthy Galilean / high Priest/ Rebel Leader
in the vicinity of Tiberias. Was in a position to give orders to
Tiberians although under whose authority is not mentioned, possibly as a
regional Governor. In the civil war in Judaea. He had debated with the
besieging Idumeans, led by ‘James and John, sons of Susa’. It
didn't do him any good. As per legend When the Idumeans breached the
walls he was executed.
- The second is .Jesus of Shaphat {or Son of
Shaphat / Ben Shaphat} also a Wealthy Galilean / high
Priest?/ Rebel Leader in the vicinity of Tiberias. In the
Jewish Revolt of 68AD this Jesus led rebel factions in Tiberias.
Led a group that attacked Roman Commander Valerian and made off
with his horses, he took refuge in Tiberias. When the city
was about to fall he fled north to Tarichea on the Sea of
Galilee.
- Third is
Jesus ben Sapphias {or Son of
Sapphias / Ben Sapphias }
Referred to by Josephus as a
rebel leader of a "seditious mob of Mariners" {mariners
being equated to as fishermen} in the vicinity of Tiberias. At
one point he was the Governor of Tiberias. Was also a High
Priest and a General appointed by "Ananus ". In
addition to the simile of names with Jesus of Shaphat, This Jesus's
description and geography are very close to Jesus of Gamala and
Jesus -Shaphat and Jesus ben Sapphias- they may all be the same
person.
- and finally Josephus mentions
Jesus ben Ananus
{Son of "Ananus
"} Josephus states that this
Jesus was a High Priest, and a rebel leader in the Galilee/
Tiberias area. Arrested and flogged by the Romans. Josephus
gives a narrative reminiscent of the passion of Jesus, in which
the bones of this Jesus were "laid bare" .
"...most eminent of the populace
had great indignation at this dire cry of his and took up the man Jesus
and gave him a great number of severe stripes. Yet he did not say
anything for himself, or anything peculiar to those that chastised
him,... he went on with the same words...as the case proved to be, that
this was a sort of divine fury in the man... he was whipped till his
bones were laid bare, yet he did not make any supplication for himself,
nor shed any tears." -Josephus
The Jewish War![](http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=stockmarketselec&l=ur2&o=1)
All the above Jesus' are Wealthy
Galileans with connections or relations to the High priesthood as well
as political ties in Galilee, it is Highly unlikely that there were four
Jesus' running around Palestine at the same time, all leading guerilla
bands opposed to Rome and all hailing from Galilee. They are certainly
second hand references , drawing from various resources with varying
accreditations of the same Jesus- Jesus of Galilee, the actual Historical
Jesus Christ.
|