Biblical Criticism & History Forum - earlywritings.com

I'd propose a different approach, maybe an "index of historical construction," rather than try for a classifier. Scholarly works about the human past would easily score high, shamelessly vulgar works of never-never fantasy would score low. Hard cases (Tom Wolfe's novels) could be mined fo...

Ah, I didn't appreciate that you'd argue against that any meeting between Curtius Rufus and a tall African beauty took place. I'm open to that much being true, because with or without knowing that Pliny brings this up while writing about the supernatural, any supernatural interpretations are easily...

Thanks for this feedback. Great points for discussion.... However what does bother me is the context in which this definition is made: the binary opposition of "history" and "fiction". You imply that these are the only two options. I don't have much of an argument with saying tha...

There are several points to address both in your and Paul's comments and I'd prefer address each point in separate comments rather than tackling a too much in very long comments. I'll attempt to address your interesting point about Theseus in this one. You have given the answer to the problem you ra...

Neil Applying my model to the process of how a reader identifies "history/biography" as distinct from fiction in Pliny's letter about ghost stories...... Please indulge me to remind you now and then that there are readers who wouldn't begin with the assumption that a work which contains h...

I have read the info about a real crucified Cyrus in the book of the great Mythicist J M. Robertson, "The Jesus Problem". Interesting. Somewhat dated, but nonetheless some interesting suggestions. From J.M.R's Jesus Problem , pages 64-65 8. The Suffering Messiah By way of accounting for t...

Paul the Uncertain wrote:So I am unsure where we're going with this hypothetical.

I should not have added my sentence beginning with "Presumably". It was not necessary for my argument.

It's from Diodorus Siculus, 2.44.2 For instance, when Cyrus the king of the Persians, the mightiest ruler of his day, made a campaign with a vast army into Scythia, the queen of the Scythians not only cut the army of the Persians to pieces but she even took Cyrus prisoner and crucified him ; and the...

Applying my model to the process of how a reader identifies "history/biography" as distinct from fiction in Pliny's letter about ghost stories...... Historian2.jpg How the Audience is given the means to assess the "historicity" of the narrative By "historicity" here I m...

Pliny the Younger (A.D. 62?–c.A.D. 113). Letters. The Harvard Classics. 1909–14. LXXXIII. To Sura THE PRESENT recess from business we are now enjoying affords you leisure to give, and me to receive, instruction. I am extremely desirous therefore to know whether you believe in the existence of ghost...