Steve Mason on the Testimonium Flavianum
Posted: Tue Oct 26, 2021 4:01 am
Steve Mason, a well known Josephan scholar, appeared on MythVision podcast few moths ago, presenting his case for the authentic core of the Testimonium Flavianum. Mason argues for a sort of compromise between cases made by Alice Whealey and Ken Olson. He thinks that Eusebius did some changes here and there but finds it impropable that Eusebius created the TF out of nothing. The reason for that is the language of the TF, that he finds to be characteristic of Josephus in few instances. Mason discusses TF phrase by phrase, but in this post I would like to draw attention to those phrases to which proponents of the theory of Eusebius' authorship of the testimonium flavianum have not given much attention. I present a short summary below and invite you to watch his whole presentatio. For the first hour he gives a background knowledge for people not familiar with the subject and the proceed to discussing the contents of the TF.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkJPznfgfRI[/youtube]
It's interesting that some phrases are characteristic of books 17-20 of the Antiquities. 2 of 5 instances of "about this time" are found in the context of the TF (one shortly before and one after). I think this is the case where Eusebius (if he indeed composed the TF) is not simply writing like Eusebius but adopting the "style" of Josephus. Whealey notes that Eusebius has "about this time" 3 times (2 in HE book VI and one in Comm Ps). Tho it's possible that he came up with this phrase fourth time, i think's it's improbable that he would do this in a context where Josephus used this phrase 2 out of 5 times. This would be a strange coincidence. Mason in the video admits that a phrase like this could be easily imitated by a forger.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkJPznfgfRI[/youtube]
Now...comes
"Josephus has it 4 times in War, 10 in Antiquties, 7 of these in Ant. 17-20. It is characteristic of this part of Antiquities"
about this time
"josephus has it 5 times, 4 of those in Ant. 17 and 18, including passages shortly before (18.39) and after (18.80) this one. This phrase and similiar ones (eg., "aboot this period") are characteristic of this section
if indeed
Josephus has it 4 times, and all 3 of those in Antiquities are in books 17-20
who receive X with pleasure
"Jospehus: 8 occurrences, all in Ant. 17-19 - two just before and after this passage [TF]. Distinctive of this section of Antiquities.
the true [things, stuff]
"Not a simple noun for "truth," but contraction of plural article and adjective [true things]; Used only by only a few authors (Demosthenes, Plato, Aristotle), but extensively by them; avouded by most (including historians); Josephus has it 8 other times, 6 in Antiquities-life. It is characteristic of Josephus
having been condemned to the cross by Pilate
"the verb "condemn" has various uses: informal criticsm or censure; legal term for condemnation to a specific punishment. Josephus has verb 14 times, but 7 (half) of these are concentrated in Ant. 17-19, 6 of them in book 18, and all have this narrower sense of legal condemnation to punishment
those who had loved him at first
"Josephus has it 49 times, 38 in Antiquities, and 12 (a quarter of total) in Antiquities 17-20. This verb for "love" is also common in his works, occuring 75 times (49 in Antiquities).
the divine prophets
Josephus has it one time when he speaks of issiah
by the principal men among us
"Josephus often uses "the principals" (without "men") - always in War; Eusebius changes to "leaders"; In other writers, adding "men" is rare (because it's obvious); Josephus adds "men" 14 other times in Antiquities, 11 of these in Ant. 17-18 and the Life - distinctive of his writing. "Among us" another distinctive trait of Josephus's later writings (1 in War but 49 times in later works, 28 in Ant.)
It's interesting that some phrases are characteristic of books 17-20 of the Antiquities. 2 of 5 instances of "about this time" are found in the context of the TF (one shortly before and one after). I think this is the case where Eusebius (if he indeed composed the TF) is not simply writing like Eusebius but adopting the "style" of Josephus. Whealey notes that Eusebius has "about this time" 3 times (2 in HE book VI and one in Comm Ps). Tho it's possible that he came up with this phrase fourth time, i think's it's improbable that he would do this in a context where Josephus used this phrase 2 out of 5 times. This would be a strange coincidence. Mason in the video admits that a phrase like this could be easily imitated by a forger.