StephenGoranson wrote: ↑Tue Mar 19, 2024 12:24 pm
I don't follow your proposed reasoning, CW.
Do tell.
I write this not to satisfy some puerile desire on someone's part for a faux dialogue - I've certainly better things to do - but for others who might want to find an entry point for understanding my view of the Roman Construction of the NT.
Josephus, War, 2, 2, 1 and 4, in part (emph. added):
1.
ARCHELAUS went down now to the sea-side, with his mother and his friends, Poplas, and
Ptolemy, and Nicolaus, and left behind him Philip, to be his steward in the palace, and to take care of his domestic affairs. Salome went also along with him with her sons, as did also the king's brethren and sons-in-law.
These, in appearance, went to give him all the assistance they were able, in order to secure his succession, but in reality to accuse him for his breach of the laws by what he had done at the temple.
***
4. Sabinus did also afford these his assistance to the same purpose by letters he sent, wherein he accused Archelaus before Caesar, and highly commended Antipas. Salome also, and those with her, put the crimes which they accused Archelaus of in order, and put them into Caesar's hands; and after they had done that,
Archelaus wrote down the reasons of his claim, and, by Ptolemy, sent in his father's ring, and his father's accounts. And when Caesar had maturely weighed by himself what both had to allege for themselves, as also had considered of the great burden of the kingdom, and largeness of the revenues, and withal the number of the children Herod had left behind him..."
Well, well, well, Herod dies and everyone wants a piece of the pie that's left. By the way, what's so important about this Ptolemy and this Nicholas of Damascus? Who should care?
1. Nicholas of Damascus is what might be called a "Political Control Officer". He teaches Herod about the Ways of the Modern State, the Greek Model of the Royal Court.
HE ARGUES IN FRONT OF CAESAR AND ALWAYS WINS.
He is, simply speaking, a PLAYER. An important one.
2. Ptolemy is Nick's brother and he has an important job: HE CARRIES HEROD'S SEAL *No Official Documents without Herod's Seal"!!!
3 'N where is Herod? He's at the Palace in Jericho. Why is this important?
PASSOVER IS HERE AND THERE IS A COUP PLANNED!!!
Passover and the Feast begin during the Mishmarot coverage of the Groups Bilgah and Immer (This year, 4 BCE)!
If Herod is even alive at this time (Even his dinky is eaten by worms...), who could stop the Coup?
4. Enter the Party Boy Archelaus, who, by chance, is in Jerusalem at this moment.
5. Herod is dying or dead. He has ordered a Round-Up of Important People to be murdered and there is a Coup centered in the Priesthood that is on for Passover. People from everywhere are streaming into Jerusalem.
6. What to do?
Hey, WAYDAMMINIT!!! "Ptolemy, you have the Seal and - Do we know that Herod's actually dead or not? - Ya' know, it don't matter...We need to write up something with the Seal... Don't kill all those people and we'll lay all this on Archelaus...Yeah, that'll work..."
7. "When Nicolaus had gone through all he had to say, Archelaus came, and fell down before Caesar's knees, without any noise; - upon which he raised him up, after a very obliging manner, and declared that truly he was worthy to succeed his father. However, he still made no firm determination in his case; but when he had dismissed those assessors that had been with him that day, he deliberated by himself about the allegations which he had heard, whether it were fit to constitute any of those named in the testaments for Herod's successor, or whether the government should be parted among all his posterity, and this because of the number of those that seemed to stand in need of support therefrom..."
That's how you set things up. You get some child of a Ruler who dies to fall at your feet and GIVE you the Kingdom.
Later, you rewrite the story through your Court Writers into the story of a savior/god, loyal to Rome.
***
Save your venom, SG. This is for those who are looking for something else.
CW