The TF is dated via placement between the death of Germanius in 19 c.e. and the Jews expelled from Rome under Tiberius in 19 c.e.
Ant. 18. 2.5 . So the senate made a decree, that Germanicus should be sent to settle the affairs of the east. Fortune hereby taking a proper opportunity for depriving him of his life. For when he had been in the east, and settled all affairs there, his life was taken away by the poison which Piso gave him: as hath been related elsewhere.
Ant. 18. 3. 3. Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man;
At. 18. 3.4. 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. ................Whereupon Tiberius, who had been informed of the thing by Saturninus, the husband of Fulvia, who desired inquiry might be made about it; ordered all the Jews to be banished out of Rome.
Questions arise as to why Josephus would place the TF in a context of 19 c.e. One reason could be that an earlier version of the wonder-doer, wise man story, required a 19 c.e. crucifixion dating. That earlier version of the Jesus story is found in the Slavonic Josephus. The version of the TF in Slavonic Josephus and in Antiquities is basically the same core story.
Slavonic Josephus: Wonder-doer story. |
Josephus Antiquities: Testimonium Flavianum.
(Minus the Christian interpolations.) |
At that time also a man came forward,
if even it is fitting to call him a man. |
About this time there lived a wise man, if indeed one ought to call him a man. |
His works, that is to say, were godly, and
he wrought wonder-deeds amazing and full of power. |
For he was one who performed surprising deeds |
And many from the folk followed him
and received his teachings. |
and was a teacher of such people as accept the truth gladly. He won over many Jews. |
The teachers of the Law were [therefore]
envenomed with envy and gave thirty talents to Pilate, in order that he should put him to death. |
And when, upon the accusation of the principal men among us, |
And they took him and crucified him according to the ancestral law. |
Pilate had condemned him to a cross, |
What is different of course is the dating structure compared to that in gLuke - gLuke's crucifixion's can't be based on the TF of 19 c.e. Eusebius went with the updated gLuke version of the crucifixion story - as do the Jesus historicists today. However, the ahistoricists, having opted for a literary gospel Jesus construct, have every reason to utilize the Slavonic Josephus material. If nothing else this material demonstrates that the Jesus story was never static, that it developed along the way - thus confirming their ahistoricist position on the gospel Jesus crucifixion story.
So - what lies behind the chronology of the Slavonic Josephus ? It seems what lay behind the Slavonic Josephus dating structure was an interpretation of Daniel. ch.9 and it's 70 weeks.
Page 72.
In reply the priest Ananus told them:
“I know all the Writings. When Herod was
fighting in front of the city,
I never imagined that God would allow him
to reign over us. But I now understand
that our devastation is <already> at hand.
And consider Daniel’s prophecy. For he
writes that after the Return, the city of
Jerusalem will stand for 70 weeks of
years, that is 400 years and 90, and will
lie waste after those years”.
And they calculated the years and it was so.
--------
They, being scribes, began to seek the time
when the Holy (One) would appear,
Page 179/180/181
.......
And they answered him: ”It is written:
“A star shall shine forth from Jacob
and a man shall arise from Judah’.
And Daniel writes that a priest is to come,
but we do not know who this is. We reckon
that he will be born without a father.”
(Then) Herod said: “How can we discover him?”
and Levi said: Send throughout the whole land of
Judaea (asking)how many male infants have
been born since the Persians saw the star
right up to the present day, kill them all, and
that (child) will also be killed. And your
kingdom will be secure for you and your sons
and even for your great-grandsons”.
It is written that the
Anointed One is (to be)born in Bethlehem.
Even if you have no mercy on your servants,
kill those infants of Bethlehem and let the
others go”. And he gave the order and they
killed all the infants of Bethlehem.”
In the fifteenth year of his reign
he (re)built the temple
and renovated its walls
The nativity of the anointed one is thus around or prior to the 15th year of Herod the Great. Counting from 40 b.c. and the nativity is placed around 25 b.c. Interestingly, that year is 490 years from 515 b.c. - the year in which the Jerusalem temple was rebuilt. (seemingly Herod had his own plans for that year.....)
The next time frame in Slavonic Josephus is for the John the baptizer figure. This figure is connected to Archelaus - Archelaus ruled from 4 b.c. to 6 c.e. Hence, 6 c.e is the cut off date - not for John's death but his appearance. Slavonic Josephus does not connect the wonder-doer with John. However, the Infancy gospel of James does - indicating a short time between their births. If John, re the storyline, is active in 6 c.e. then Jesus is also active at that time. Both would be about 30/31 years old. Slavonic Josephus has it's wonder-worker crucified under Pilate. This crucifixion is placed early in Pilate's rule - between the standards and the water issue. Prior to Antiquities - where Josephus has two dating structures for Pilate - the TF in 19 c.e. and chronology of Roman governors in 26 c.e. - it becomes apparent the Slavonic Josephus dating structure leads to a crucifixion of its wonder-doer figure in 19 c.e. That would make this figure around 44/45 years old. (gJohn having Jews tell Jesus he is not yet 50 years old..)
This reconstruction of the dating structure of Slavonic Josephus indicates that it is tied to the Antiquities TF of 19 c.e. Josephus, so it seems, thought to leave well alone. Helping out gLuke with shifting Pilate to 26 c.e. in no way was to sanction gLuke's chronology as the only chronology that related to the wonder-doer, wise man, Jesus, story. The gLuke story update did not invalidate earlier history of the Jesus story. Indicating, of course, that the gospel Jesus figure is not a historical figure but a literary figure. A literary figure that served to preserve, or was an avenue into, the Jewish/Hasmonean underlay to what became early christianity.
The Slavonic Josephus storyline is one thing - history is another.
All the crucifixion dates, 19 c.e., 21 c.e., 30 c.e., 33 c.e., 36/37 c.e. all link back to elements of Hasmonean history. Whether, it's 63 b.c., 49 b.c., 40 b.c., 37 b.c., 30 b.c.
19 c.e. back 49 years to 30 b.c. and the killing of Hyrancus II and the suicide of Marc Antony - the executioner of Antigonus.
21 c.e. back 70 years to 49 b.c. and the killing of Aristobulus II - Caesar and the Rubicon.
30 c.e. back 70 years to 40 b.c. and Herod the Great in Rome and Antigonus in Jerusalem.
33 c.e. back 70 years to 37 b.c. and the execution, crucifixion, of Antigonus by Marc Antony.
36/37 c.e. back 100 years to 63 b.c. and the loss of Hasmonean sovereignty.
Conclusion: the gospel Jesus crucifixion story is a story, an allegory, related to the downfall of the Hasmonean kingdom. In effect, it had it's head cut off, it was crucified by the agents of Rome.
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Josephus' Jewish War and Its Slavonic Version: A Synoptic Comparison: by H. Leeming (Author), K. Leeming (Author)
here