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Old 12-27-2006, 07:37 AM   #1
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Default Josephus discourse on Hades...

http://www.ccel.org/j/josephus/works/hades.htm

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6. For all men, the just as well as the unjust, shall be brought before God the word: for to him hath the Father committed all judgment : and he, in order to fulfill the will of his Father, shall come as Judge, whom we call Christ. For Minos and Rhadamanthus are not the judges, as you Greeks do suppose, but he whom God and the Father hath glorified: CONCERNING WHOM WE HAVE ELSEWHERE GIVEN A MORE PARTICULAR ACCOUNT, FOR THE SAKE OF THOSE WHO SEEK AFTER TRUTH. This person, exercising the righteous judgment of the Father towards all men, hath prepared a just sentence for every one, according to his works; at whose judgment-seat when all men, and angels, and demons shall stand, they will send forth one voice, and say, JUST IS THY JUDGMENT; the rejoinder to which will bring a just sentence upon both parties, by giving justly to those that have done well an everlasting fruition; but allotting to the lovers of wicked works eternal punishment. To these belong the unquenchable fire, and that without end, and a certain fiery worm, never dying, and not destroying the body, but continuing its eruption out of the body with never-ceasing grief: neither will sleep give ease to these men, nor will the night afford them comfort; death will not free them from their punishment, nor will the interceding prayers of their kindred profit them; for the just are no longer seen by them, nor are they thought worthy of remembrance. But the just shall remember only their righteous actions, whereby they have attained the heavenly kingdom, in which there is no sleep, no sorrow, no corruption, no care, no night, no day measured by time, no sun driven in his course along the circle of heaven by necessity, and measuring out the bounds and conversions of the seasons, for the better illumination of the life of men; no moon decreasing and increasing, or introducing a variety of seasons, nor will she then moisten the earth; no burning sun, no Bear turning round [the pole], no Orion to rise, no wandering of innumerable stars. The earth will not then be difficult to be passed over, nor will it he hard to find out the court of paradise, nor will there be any fearful roaring of the sea, forbidding the passengers to walk on it; even that will be made easily passable to the just, though it will not be void of moisture. Heaven will not then be uninhabitable by men, and it will not be impossible to discover the way of ascending thither.
Are there any known problems with this text? This is considered authentic correct, and was written by Josephus after he had written Antiquity of the Jews correct?

Edit: The title is supposed to say discourse, not discourde. Corrected
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Old 12-27-2006, 08:36 AM   #2
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Originally Posted by Malachi151 View Post
http://www.ccel.org/j/josephus/works/hades.htm



Are there any known problems with this text? This is considered authentic correct, and was written by Josephus after he had written Antiquity of the Jews correct?

Edit: The title is supposed to say discourse, not discourde.
I think the Discourse on Hades is almost universally rejected as a genuine Josephan work. IIRC, it was first mistakenly attributed to Josephus by Photius, and it is now customarily attributed to Hippolytus.

Ben.
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Old 12-27-2006, 08:49 AM   #3
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well Ben, given that you give your location as 'Midwest', perhaps you'd be so kind as to inform the owners of that website the same.

Here's their address:
Christian Classics Ethereal Library
Calvin College
3201 Burton St. SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49546 USA


After all, they might be more open to listening to a moderate christian such as you.
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Old 12-27-2006, 09:06 AM   #4
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Originally Posted by post tenebras lux View Post
well Ben, given that you give your location as 'Midwest', perhaps you'd be so kind as to inform the owners of that website the same.

Here's their address:
Christian Classics Ethereal Library
Calvin College
3201 Burton St. SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49546 USA


After all, they might be more open to listening to a moderate christian such as you.
Next time I am cruising past Michigan, I shall certainly endeavor to do that. Kansas is, what, only four states away.

What the CCEL has posted is from Whiston, who published in 1737. I have no idea whether Calvin College would officially endorse his attribution today, but it would be quite unfair, I think, simply to assume that they would.

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Old 12-27-2006, 09:17 AM   #5
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Incidentally, I have the remark by Photius that apparently led to the Josephan attribution available on my website. Scroll down to the Photius section to find it. Notice that there is actually a three-way confusion between Josephus, Hippolytus, and Gaius of Rome.

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