Testimonium Flavianum: Just the Evidence

This post is another in the series of "Just the Evidence." This means that I will provide the readers with easy access to resources and leave out any interpretation. In future posts I will examine the evidence and attempt to draw conclusions.

 

The Testimonium Flavianum

 

Authorship: Several possibilities- Josephus, Eusebius, a Christian copyist, or unknown

 

Summary: The text is found in chapter 3 of book 18 of Antiquities of the Jews, written by the Jewish historian Josephus around 93 AD. It speaks favorably of Jesus Christ, and if authentic, provides early outside testimony for the historical Jesus. The earliest quotation of the Testimonium Flavianum comes from the Father of Church History, Eusebius. (Please check the statements I make in this summary!)

 

The Text: I have included a small amount of the material surrounding the Testimonium for context. The Testimonium itself is in bold type.

 

The following is a translation by William Whiston from https://mail.ttu.edu/owa/redir.aspx?C=12ba06f39a4b4442a94f86e65660b421&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.ccel.org%2fj%2fjosephus%2fworks%2fant-18.htm

 

"2. But Pilate undertook to bring a current of water to Jerusalem, and did it with the sacred money, and derived the origin of the stream from the distance of two hundred furlongs. However, the Jews were not pleased with what had been done about this water; and many ten thousands of the people got together, and made a clamor against him, and insisted that he should leave off that design. Some of them also used reproaches, and abused the man, as crowds of such people usually do. So he habited a great number of his soldiers in their habit, who carried daggers under their garments, and sent them to a place where they might surround them. So he bid the Jews himself go away; but they boldly casting reproaches upon him, he gave the soldiers that signal which had been beforehand agreed on; who laid upon them much greater blows than Pilate had commanded them, and equally punished those that were tumultuous, and those that were not; nor did they spare them in the least: and since the people were unarmed, and were caught by men prepared for what they were about, there were a great number of them slain by this means, and others of them ran away wounded. And thus an end was put to this sedition.

3. Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man; for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles. He was [the] Christ. And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him; for he appeared to them alive again the third day; as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him. And the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day.

4. About the same time also another sad calamity put the Jews into disorder, and certain shameful practices happened about the temple of Isis that was at Rome. I will now first take notice of the wicked attempt about the temple of Isis, and will then give an account of the Jewish affairs. There was at Rome a woman whose name was Paulina; one who, on account of the dignity of her ancestors, and by the regular conduct of a virtuous life, had a great reputation: she was also very rich; and although she was of a beautiful countenance, and in that flower of her age wherein women are the most gay, yet did she lead a life of great modesty. She was married to Saturninus, one that was every way answerable to her in an excellent character. Decius Mundus fell in love with this woman, who was a man very high in the equestrian order; and as she was of too great dignity to be caught by presents, and had already rejected them, though they had been sent in great abundance, he was still more inflamed with love to her, insomuch that he promised to give her two hundred thousand Attic drachmae for one night's lodging; and when this would not prevail upon her, and he was not able to bear this misfortune in his amours, he thought it the best way to famish himself to death for want of food, on account of Paulina's sad refusal; and he determined with himself to die after such a manner, and he went on with his purpose accordingly."

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Coming soon- posts concerning the authenticity and authorship of the Testimonium Flavianum and any possible relationship to the Christian historian Eusebius.