On the Testimononia Flaviana as anti-docetic interpolations

Discussion about the New Testament, apocrypha, gnostics, church fathers, Christian origins, historical Jesus or otherwise, etc.
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Giuseppe
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On the Testimononia Flaviana as anti-docetic interpolations

Post by Giuseppe »

The James episode, with "brother of Jesus called Christ" well in evidence, betrayes clearly an anti-docetist propaganda: ghost have not carnal brothers.

The Testimonium Flavianum betrayes the same anti-docetist propaganda in the incipit:

About this time there lived Jesus, a wise man, if indeed one ought to call him a man. For he was one who performed surprising deeds and was a teacher of such people as accept the truth gladly

What need the Christian author had in pointing that Jesus was a "man"? This resembles the same enigma behind "born by woman, born under the law" of Galatians 4:4: all the Jews are born by woman and circumcised, and so?

The interpolator is aware of the paradox, and he explains it: the doubt about the humanity of Jesus is raised not by his being a Gnostic aeon descended on the earth "in form of men", but uniquely in virtue of his wonders done on the earth.

I wonder why those arguments have not been done before me, despite of the fact that the deniers of the total authenticity of the Testimonia Flaviana are thousands and thousands.
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