Magus55

Very true, thats why it was so amazing and wasn't recorded much, because no one could explain it. The eclipse had to be from God, since one can't happen on a full moon. Thallus recorded the darkness at the crucifiction, but was even confused as to how it was dark, since he knew there couldn't be a naturally occuring eclipse on passover.

beth

Magnus, this is bull. If there was a truly phenomenal event, it would have been recorded!

Demigawd

Miscellaneous Scholar: You know, I really should record this eclipse. But I can't explain it! Ah, I might as well just forget about it.

Mageth

So, can you produce a first-hand quotation from Thallus? And explain why Josephus or other contemporary historians didn't record such an astounding event? Including the gospel of John, Paul, or any other NT author besides the authors of Matthew, Mark and Luke?

Richard Carrier's critique of the Thallus claim

Spaz

A dime a dozen for these explanations eh?

Magus55

Another discussion of Thallus. Although, i guess the atheistic view point is always correct - so this link is completely invalid right? :rolleyes
http://www.christian-thinktank.com/jrthal.html

Mageth

Can you answer my questions, Magus:

So, can you produce a first-hand quotation from Thallus? And explain why Josephus or other contemporary historians didn't record such an astounding event? Including the gospel of John, Paul, or any other NT author besides the authors of Matthew, Mark and Luke?

I tell you what you can do. Post a link to Carrier's article in the Feedback Forum, along with a link to Miller's article. Ask Carrier to respond to Miller's paper. (It may be that he already has a critique of it written up somewhere).

Mageth

BTW, Carrier's article is written as an historical analysis of Thallus, and is not simply an "atheistic viewpoint". His credentials:

B.A. History (minor in Classical Civilization), UC Berkeley (1997)
M.A. Ancient History, Columbia University (1998)
M.Phil. Ancient History, Columbia University (2000)

Volker.Doormann

If an eclipse on passover could occur, then also a truth could be an untruth. If the order of nature could also be chaos then there would no different between order and chaos. If one is arguing, that chaos is order, and order is chaos, then there is no need neither to argue actually nor to listen to that 'arguing' actually.

Yes or yes?

Volker

Magus55

And degrees mean what? I can give you a long article on why Abiogenesis is impossible, from a guy with 7 degrees, including being a geneticist searching for a cure for cancer. Yet i'm sure you would be all over what an invalid article that is.

Credentials don't mean didly.

And to your other question, don't know why they didn't record it. Maybe because Matthew, Mark and Luke did, so they didn't feel the need to. Matthew, Mark and Luke are the eyewitness accounts to Jesus' life and death, the others aren't so much. If 3 of the apostles, plus 2 accounts from historians aren't good enough for you, what difference would it make if Josephus and Paul did? ( of course Paul wasn't at the crucifiction).