aa5874

Finally, a refreshing confession. 'Mainstream' has been destroyed by a 'scholar'.

Peter Kirby

Stop the strife.

--
Peter Kirby

Jayrok

Are there plans in the works to go back and update the ECW website with your new findings, or will the new material culminate in a new online project that will replace ECW?

If I may ask, can you give a brief description of why the change in heart and why you feel compelled to 'reboot' your studies? I'm very curious. I enjoy reading the material on ECW and have learned a great deal from all the articles and references.

Are you taking a fresh look at the origins of Christianity because you have changed your point of view on the Historicity of Jesus?

Thanks for all you do.

Jay Johnson

Peter Kirby

Hi Jay,

It is because, when you try to go directly into NT studies, you inherit a web weaved by others. Unfortunately, that web is a knotted mess, and when you are tangled up in it, you find things shifting under you constantly. There's no sure footing. And you can just make out the sounds of laughter from those who work in classics, or patristics, on how absurd your techniques are when working with that web.

To start with Photius means, for me, to...

* Get a good grip on Latin and Greek.
* Get a sound basis in studying antiquity.
* Get some data on the development of Christianity.
* Get a starting point for a study that can make the eventual, or occasional, visit to the NT a new experience, grounded in the same techniques used in studying antiquity practiced already.

And, I'm sure that any classical or patristic scholar would say the same thing: he is a fool who tries to study the New Testament deeply, but not antiquity and patristics broadly.

I anticipate a rollicking ride through the ninth century, back to the fourth, and I'm not sure what will happen as I peer back into the second and first, but it's all in good sport at that point! :grin:

--
Peter Kirby

Clivedurdle

I would also start from today and look at how things are interpreted and most importantly acted out in ritual and actions by people who call themselves in even the most extreme fashion xian - so I would definitely include JW's, CScientists, Mormons, Voodoo and other groups. Written stuff is only one source of evidence - plainsong, annointing, monastic tradition, the eucharist are all equally important.

And I think it all tracks back well before an invented central point of history at 0 CE.

Clivedurdle

I recommend Henry Gee Deep Time and Dawkins Ancestors Tale as templates for this exercise.

Ben C Smith

Perfect! Thanks, Stephen.

Ben.

Ben C Smith

Hi, Stephen. I have updated my list of witnesses to the Testimonium using the text you provided. Here is my translation. Does this look okay? (Especially the numbers; I am weak on Greek numeration.)

And Eusebius says that in the fifteenth year of Tiberius our Lord Jesus Christ is baptized, in harmony with the gospel, and in the eighteenth year the salvific passion took place, in year 5539 of the world. And Josephus also writes these things concerning John the baptist as follows: It seemed to some of the Jews that the destruction of the army of Herod was from God, and that he was penalized most justly on account of his punishment of John, called the baptist. For Herod killed this good man who also commanded the Jews to exercise virtue and to employ justice toward one another and devotion toward God, and to come to baptism. But concerning Christ, again the same [author] says that at about this time there was Jesus, the wise man, if it be permitted to call him a man, for he was a doer of paradoxical works and a teacher of men who receive the truth with pleasure; for Christ led over many even from the gentiles. When Pilate had crucified him, the disciples who had first loved him did not stop preaching concerning him, for he appeared to them the third day living again, the divine prophets having testified and spoken both these things and other wonders concerning him. This Tiberius heard the wonders concerning Christ and wished through his royal seal to proclaim him god, but he was resisted in this by the senate, just as Eusebius therefore says.

Thanks again.

Ben.