Why not? It is Metacrock who has suggested (in mock jest) that Josephus didn't exist, not I.

Do you think we should add Paul to the growing list? I would have no problem with that.

rodahi

Okay, excellent.

The list, so far, includes:

Jesus;
Josephus;
John the Baptist; and
Paul.

Since our only references to James, the supposed brother of Jesus, comes from Christian sources and Josephus, you should also scratch him.

Yes, indeed! How about adding a few of the disciples? I suggest Simon Peter, Andrew, James, John, Levi, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, and Matthias. Oh, how about all those characters named "Mary"?

rodahi

Don't focus so much on the New Testament, people!

Scratch Moses off the list, too.

Oh, don't forget God. He can go.

That was easy! Thanks, Meta!

Cool, we'll have to come up with a final list once we are done.

What about Ignatius? We supposedly have seven of his letters, but only because Christians preserved them?

And Polycarp? We have only one of his letters (and one of Ignatius' was written to him) and an account of his alleged matrydrom. But heck, this is less than we have for Jesus, and we know that the Christians controlled the textual tradition.

Can we add Ignatius and Polycarp to your list too?

What's with the sudden run on extension to the absurd arguments? Suppose I said that if you take the Testimonium as true (or substantially true), that means you're vouching the Confession of Pilate? Oh, the howls of derisive laughter we would hear.

Anyway, please note that rodahi didn't say any of these people didn't exist. Only that if it amuses you to say so, that's fine with him.

[This message has been edited by JubalH (edited June 08, 2001).]

Thank you for paying attention, JubalH. You are exactly right about what "amuses" me. I thought this thread was for amusement.

rodahi

Either it is all true or it is all false. No middle ground is allowed. Everything ever written about Alexander the Great must be true, or he did not exist. Every word Herodotus ever wrote about the Greco-Persian war must be true, or it did not happen (and nor did Herodotus exist). Every word Seutonious wrote about the Caesars must be beyond doubt; otherwise neither Seutonious, nor any of the Caesars, existed.

Doy, doy, doy, doy, doyer daily duh.