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View Poll Results: a question for Christ mythicist, suppose an early copy of Josephus was found
I am a Christ mythicist, this version of Testimonium would falsify my beliefs 0 0%
I am a Christ mythicist, I would still believe in Jesus myth w/this version of Testimonium 4 57.14%
I believe in a historical Jesus, this version of Testimonium would support it. 3 42.86%
Voters: 7. You may not vote on this poll

 
 
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Old 07-08-2012, 06:27 PM   #21
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It represents an independent confirmation of the historicity of Jesus, John, James.
The version you describe in the OP would be independent, albeit a centuries old copy of the testimony of a non-contemporary that hasn't been discovered.

The versions of the TF we do have include the assertion "He was Christ" which negates the author's independence.

How probable is the version in the OP? If Josephus believed what he was writing does not five sentences seem a little skimpy? One would expect a little elaboration regarding the "startling deeds" and the nature of His teaching.
Contemporary with Jesus time period and followers then (i.e James, Paul, etc.)

Josepheus is explaining why there are Christians to this day, and why they did not die out despite their founder's death.
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Old 07-08-2012, 06:36 PM   #22
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Jesus and Josephus were not alive at the same time, were not contemporaries and Josephus' word regarding Jesus himself and his death is hearsay. Josephus does verify that there was a very early Christian church (which we knew already) and that early Christians likely believed the claims made of Jesus in the gospels although most of them would not have seen or heard him and it is these people wo would likely have informed Josephus.

I personally do not believe the HJ/MJ debate is relevant. It makes no difference to a non-believer whether there was a figure about whom supernatural claims were made.
con·tem·po·rar·y (kn-tmp-rr)
adj.
1. Belonging to the same period of time: a fact documented by two contemporary sources.

Jesus dates 30-36 CE
Josepheus 37 CE

period of time, First century Judaism
Their lives didn't overlap and there' a gap of 30 years between both men being in their prime.

Jesus and Cleopatra both lived in the same corner of the mediterranean within a 100 year block, are thy contemporaries? If you specify the time period as first millenium AD Eurasia then Jesus and Atilla the Hun would be contemporaries.
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Old 07-08-2012, 06:38 PM   #23
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This passage substantiates other first century references as well as rational evidence based historical reconstructions.
First of all, it is hypothetical and does NOT have any effect on other sources.

Are you NOT aware that Vespasian was declared the Prophesied Messianic ruler by Josephus, Suetonius and Tacitus and that it is claimed Vespasian also performed Miracles like those of the supposed Jesus??

Are you NOT aware that Justin Martyr ADMITTED that up to the mid 2nd century that JEWS claimed the Christ had NOT yet come and if he came he was UNKNOWN???

Are you NOT aware that the short-ending gMark claimed the supposed Jesus was UNKNOWN as Christ but was called John the Baptist or a prophet during the time of Pilate??

Again, all passages in Josephus where it is claimed Jesus was called Christ are blatant forgeries.
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Old 07-08-2012, 06:40 PM   #24
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con·tem·po·rar·y (kn-tmp-rr)
adj.
1. Belonging to the same period of time: a fact documented by two contemporary sources.

Jesus dates 30-36 CE
Josepheus 37 CE

period of time, First century Judaism
Their lives didn't overlap and there' a gap of 30 years between both men being in their prime.

Jesus and Cleopatra both lived in the same corner of the mediterranean within a 100 year block, are thy contemporaries? If you specify the time period as first millenium AD Eurasia then Jesus and Atilla the Hun would be contemporaries.


con·tem·po·rar·y (kn-tmp-rr)
adj.
1. Belonging to the same period of time: a fact documented by two contemporary sources.

Jesus 36CE
Josepheus 37CE


I didn't say anything about being in their prime. Flavius Josepheus writings express covers the time period of first century Judaism in Palestine.
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Old 07-08-2012, 06:44 PM   #25
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Once a myth always a myth...
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Old 07-08-2012, 07:25 PM   #26
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con·tem·po·rar·y (kn-tmp-rr)
adj.
1. Belonging to the same period of time: a fact documented by two contemporary sources.

Jesus dates 30-36 CE
Josepheus 37 CE

period of time, First century Judaism
It is most amazing how people only extract what they want.

Please, the very gospels which show a character called Jesus as crucified under Pilate also show that the character was the Son of a Ghost that walked on water, transfigured, resurrected and ascended.

We cannot continue to use Myth Fables as sources of history.

No credible sources of antiquity attested that there was a Jesus called Christ, the most significant expected Jew before the Jewish War with the Romans.

There is NO evidence whatsoever that gLuke and gMatthew are historical accounts of Jesus when he was Fathered by a Holy Ghost.
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Old 07-08-2012, 07:37 PM   #27
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con·tem·po·rar·y (kn-tmp-rr)
adj.
1. Belonging to the same period of time: a fact documented by two contemporary sources.

Jesus dates 30-36 CE
Josepheus 37 CE

period of time, First century Judaism
It is most amazing how people only extract what they want.

Please, the very gospels which show a character called Jesus as crucified under Pilate also show that the character was the Son of a Ghost that walked on water, transfigured, resurrected and ascended.

We cannot continue to use Myth Fables as sources of history.

No credible sources of antiquity attested that there was a Jesus called Christ, the most significant expected Jew before the Jewish War with the Romans.

There is NO evidence whatsoever that gLuke and gMatthew are historical accounts of Jesus when he was Fathered by a Holy Ghost.

I see the emotions of this OP clouds your objectivity and rationality.
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Old 07-08-2012, 08:24 PM   #28
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Default Sounds of Silence

Hi pinkvoy,

There are good arguments from silence and bad arguments from silence. For example, if I come home and turn my air conditioner on and there is silence, I conclude that my air conditioning unit is broken. It is a reasonable deduction from silence.
Generally the absence of a signal that should be there is as meaningful as the presence of a signal that should not be there.

Let us say that you tell me that Abraham Lincoln has risen from the grave and he is in my bathroom. I go to the bathroom door, and yell out "Abe?" I hear only silence. I cannot be certain that Abe is not there. Perhaps he has lost his hearing from being dead 152 years. I have a right to add this silence to the list of reasons for me not believing that Abe Lincoln has returned from the dead. The silence makes the odds greater that he has not returned.

At Oxyrhynchus in Egypt over 100,000 papyrus fragments have been found. The lack of anything turning up to suggest an historical jesus, the silence of these leaves has to be taken as evidence in favor of a mythological Jesus, although it is not proof.

Warmly,

Jay Raskin







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Hi pinkvoy,

Yes, this would certainly add credibility to the historical Jesus case.

The fact that nothing like this has been found in over 200 years of archaeological work suggests the strength of the mythicist case. Every week that passes without such a discovery strengthens the mythicist case.

Warmly,

Jay Raskin
argument from silence.
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Old 07-08-2012, 08:33 PM   #29
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Hi pinkvoy,

There are good arguments from silence and bad arguments from silence. For example, if I come home and turn my air conditioner on and there is silence, I conclude that my air conditioning unit is broken. It is a reasonable deduction from silence.
Generally the absence of a signal that should be there is as meaningful as the presence of a signal that should not be there.

Let us say that you tell me that Abraham Lincoln has risen from the grave and he is in my bathroom. I go to the bathroom door, and yell out "Abe?" I hear only silence. I cannot be certain that Abe is not there. Perhaps he has lost his hearing from being dead 152 years. I have a right to add this silence to the list of reasons for me not believing that Abe Lincoln has returned from the dead. The silence makes the odds greater that he has not returned.

At Oxyrhynchus in Egypt over 100,000 papyrus fragments have been found. The lack of anything turning up to suggest an historical jesus, the silence of these leaves has to be taken as evidence in favor of a mythological Jesus, although it is not proof.

Warmly,

Jay Raskin







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argument from silence.
we're dealing with ancient manuscripts. The original copy of Josepheus Antiquities is lost, but it is highly likely it contains a TF w/the reconstruction and as such, it represents an independent source text.
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Old 07-08-2012, 08:48 PM   #30
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Once a myth always a myth...
faith of a fundamentalist
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