aa5874

Again, where is the evidence for your propaganda?? There is no evidence whatsoever that someone using the name Josephus did not write Wars of the Jews, Antiquities of the Jews and the Life of Flavius Josephus.

Josephus is probably far more attested that any other Jewish writer of the 1st century.

Duvduv

Negative evidence? That's ridiculous. It is YOU who has to prove that the texts were written by a Jew in the 1st century named Josephus!

Duvduv

I had in mind the scholar community. Have you ever heard of any mainstream scholar question the authenticity of the authorship of a Josephus? I never have.

Adam

Did too many hours pass between Duvduv's Post #132 and #133 for him to fail to see that he was contradicting himself? Or is it whether Josephus was a Jew that is in question?

Duvduv

"Josephus" was probably as much a Jew as the "Paul" in Acts.
Do you have any corroboration that he was a Jew other than tradition?

aa5874

Do you have any corroboration for Aaron in the Hebrew Bible other than tradition??

Do you have any corroboration for Samson in Hebrew Bible other than tradition??

Do you have any corroboration for the talking ASS in Hebrew Bible other than tradition??

Writings presumably composed by Jews are without corroboration.

What about the supposed Prophets like Isaiah, Daniel, Hezekiah, Amos, Zechariah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Micah, Obadiah, Nahum, Zephaniah, Nehemiah, Hosea, Jonah, Haggai or even Job??

Do you have any corroboration that they were Jews by Roman writers??

Duvduv

Why do you answer my questions with questions?
I was simply observing that secular scholars would be accepting church tradition as to the identity of Josephus uncritically while at the same time questioning the authenticity of of Acts. I also assume they question the authenticity of biblical books. And this is the case when there is no evidence the books by Josephus were actually written by a first century person of that name.

aa5874

There are two passages of Josephus writings that are questioned for authenticity "Antiquities of the Jews" 20.9.1 and Antiquities of the Jews 18.3.3.

It is accepted almost universally that Josephus was a 1st century writer and it is corroborated by multiple sources of antiquity.

The authenticity and historical accuracy of the WHOLE Hebrew Bible is questioned.

Did Moses and Aaron perform magic tricks as stated in Hebrew Bible??

Duvduv

Only two passages are questioned because of criteria concerning those two passages, while accepting the rest uncritically. However there are solid reasons of context to question much more in relation to contextual criteria that don't interest you, but which interest me, not the least of which are Masada, Vespasian, and others about which absolutely nothing is corroborated in any Jewish texts that address such matters. Plus not a single Jewish source even mentions this alleged first century general named Yosef ben Matityahu.

But if scholars wish to accept it based on FAITH they should say so. Faith is the basis for many unprovable events that comprise history, including the Tanakh, and this should be admitted for the sake of honesty.

aa5874

Josephus mentioned places, events, characters of the 1st century that are corroborated by other sources of antiquity and it is for that reason he is regarded as credible.

The information provided by Josephus about Jerusalem and the Temple in his works are of greatest value to historians and archaeologists.