Peter Kirby wrote:It has been frequently mentioned that the portion of
Annals that could have included a lengthier mention of Jesus (or "Christ") is missing. You
can see that it cuts out in the years covering A.D. 29-31 (the end of book V and beginning of VI). Of course this could be pure happenstance.
PK--
Not to be too argumentative - since, as of today, we would be arguing over something we DON'T have - there is another alternative and that is that the missing
Annals goes missing because the material
doesn't have mentions of "Jesus"/"Christ". That is, "It would be obvious that the missing material would show that parts of the NT were rewrites of Tacitus". Since that would undermine the New Religion, it gets excised and burned, or at least taken out in the trash.
Acts 5: 1 - 11 gives a terrific summary of
Annals and the sad tale of Messalina,
who is at the feet of her mother as the Roman soldiers bust down the door to bring an end to the Story of Claudius' Wife Messalina and her...ummm...ill advised dalliance with someone else. Moral: Don't screw around on the emperor:
"Hark, the feet of those that have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out."
Pliny the Younger has a letter where he states that it would be nice if Tacitus would use his Prose to Immortalize Pliny the Elder. P the E dies in Heroic Action at Pompeii and P the Y is a little more than indebted to the Elder for rearing him as a son. "A little help here, Tacitus?...". Further, Pliny the Younger and Tacitus are at the funeral of Verginius Rufus, who was offered Imperial Honors multiple times and refused, at one time leaving out the back door when the soldiers come to help him make the right decision about being the emperor after the death of Otho.
All strange and interesting stuff but
since we DON'T have those important sections of Annals...
CW