"Ananus... was of a bold disposition and exceptionally daring; he followed the party of the Sadducees, who are severe in judgement above all the Jews... Ananus was of such disposition, he thought he had now a good opportunity, as Festus was now dead, and Albinus was still on the road; so he assembled a council of judges, and brought before it the brother of jesus the so-called Christ, whose name was James, together with some others, and having accused them as law-breakers, he delivered them over to be stoned."
Antiquities xx.9.1 - Acts of Ananus after the death of procurator Festus (A.D. 61)
2007-12-03 03:25:49 · 17 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
People just aren't getting it, are they?
While Josephus was biased, he is considered a reliable historian. And because he was writing so soon after the fact (about sixty years), that makes his testimony even more reliable. Does that mean there's been no interpolation? No. But we don't know for sure, do we? All we can do is speculate. The originals are no longer in possession, as is the same with most other manuscripts of antiquity.
People keep saying that Josephus' account doesn't matter, because it wasn't written while Jesus was still alive. Um, there's a HUGE problem with that idea. If Jesus didn't exist because no one wrote about Him while He was alive, then most other historical figures didn't exist, either. Even Alexander wasn't written about until more than two hundred years after his death, and yet no one tries to say HE didn't exist.
Someone mentioned Celsus. Celsus persecuted Christians heavily. He HATED Christians. Yet he never tried saying that Jesus didn't exist, did he? If someone early on had said Jesus didn't exist, Christianity wouldn't be around today, would it. No, instead he tried to discount the stories that were already being spread around about Jesus, i.e. the virgin birth.
Guess what that says. THAT says that early Christians believed in the immaculate conception. So THAT throws out the theory of it being added in sometime in the 4th century, doesn't it? But no, no one ever thought of that.
Add in the fact that Celsus lived in the 2nd century, when the persecution of Christians reached its height (does Hadrian ring a bell?), and that lessens the validity of his testimony.
But hey, if that's who the doubters want to believe, I say let them. I think that's intellectual dishonesty, though.
2007-12-03 03:41:32 · answer #1 · answered by The_Cricket: Thinking Pink! 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I don't know where you found this crap about James. It doesn't qualify as evidence of anything. You said yourself it was an act of an anus.
I never doubted the existence of Jesus.
I do have reason to doubt that he had a brother Jim Christ. But it could make for a funny movie.
Jesus lived and died. I don't believe they made him up. He never claimed to be God. That decision was made after his death. Without his input.
2007-12-03 03:36:56 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
I don't believe Jesus was anything more than a man, but why would his having a brother change anyone's beliefs about him? I mean, he had earthly parents who raised him, no matter what you believe about his divinity, so why wouldn't he have had siblings? It's not like they had birth control back then.
2007-12-03 03:30:15 · answer #3 · answered by CNJRTOM 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The same reason why you would reject Celsus, a second century Greek philosopher who stated that the actual father of Jesus was a Roman soldier and that the child was born out of wedlock. It kind of makes you wonder.
2007-12-03 03:29:46 · answer #4 · answered by taa 4 · 4⤊ 2⤋
I don't know why, but I'd be interested in finding out. I know he could sometimes be bias towards his Roman benefactors in his account of the Jewish revolt though.
2007-12-03 03:30:03 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
As you can see by many of the responses to this question, most are voluntarily blind to truth.
All walks of life, including many in science, are voluntarily blind to truth.
Excellent documentation to the truth.
2007-12-03 03:42:40 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
i' am the reincarnation of James Zebedee.
http://www.docpop.org/2007/04/jim-stensland-gods-prophet/.
2016-11-23 09:20:23 · answer #7 · answered by jim 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No-one doubts the existence of Jesus. Found in many non-biblical sources. Some doubt his Deity. That's their problem. HE HAS RISEN!
2007-12-03 03:29:27 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 2⤋
Homer told me that zeus threw bolts of lightning... why do you reject that as evidence?
Poseidon also turned a ship into stone.
I suggest you go worship them now by sacrificing your best cow or sheep, as they will have you sent to Hades.
2007-12-03 03:28:01 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 2⤋
Because nothing was written about Jesus when he was alive. And Josephus was a well known liar and traitor!
2007-12-03 03:29:01 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 3⤋