Biblical Criticism & History Forum - earlywritings.com

Josephus did not like Samaritans.

He had much to say regarding the long feud between the Samaritan priests and the high priesthood of Jerusalem over the correct reading of the Torah. However, he blames the Jews for the final divorce, i.e. schism of 330 BCE. The straw that finally broke the camel's back was a Jewish family quarrel over the high priesthood. This quarrel resulted in John murdering his brother Jesus at the Jerusalem temple for the job of high priesthood. That was bad enough but then the Persians (as their own form of punishment) forced a marriage between a Samaritan (Cuthean) girl named Nicaso with the brother of the high-priest of the Jews named Manasseh.

http://cojs.org/josephus-_antiquities_x ... amaritans/

https://www.chabad.org/library/article_ ... theans.htm

The Hatfield-McCoy feud was on.

So we have the Tanakh testifying to the origins of the Samaritans, as well as the Assyrians, and Josephus.
But of course they are all interpolations because the Northern tribes of Israel never existed. Therefore, Jesus did not exist.
Do I got that about right my mythicist friends?

John T wrote: ↑Fri Sep 09, 2022 10:35 am So we have the Tanakh testifying to the origins of the Samaritans, as well as the Assyrians, and Josephus.
But of course they are all interpolations because the Northern tribes of Israel never existed. Therefore, Jesus did not exist.
Do I got that right my mythicist friends?

1. You have yet to provide to us evidence from Assyrian records that there was a distinct ethnicity/culture/religion called Samaritanism. References to mass deportations and importations by Assyrians are not this. Indeed, according to your OP, the Assyrian empire could not have testified that there was a distinct ethnicity/culture/religion called Samaritanism because the Samaritans did not become distinct until 330 BCE.

2. The existence of the northern tribes has no bearing upon whether Jesus existed, nor upon the existence and origins of the Samaritans. Rather, it has a bearing upon how accurately the Jews recorded their history and the history of their religious rivals. The Samaritans could have descended from the Northern tribes, or from other people. You favour the claim that they are descended from the Northern tribes because of the Assyrian deportations and importations, but even if that is accepted as true, that has no bearing upon whether Jesus existed.

Josephus was wrong about pretty much everything prior to the Hasmonean period. Its clear that he had little more actual knowledge of ancient Jewish history than we have. His sources were pretty much the same one we have -- the Torah and other scriptures, along with some other legends. And when any of that was lacking, he simply made stuff up.

rgprice wrote: ↑Sun Sep 11, 2022 4:16 am Josephus was wrong about pretty much everything prior to the Hasmonean period. Its clear that he had little more actual knowledge of ancient Jewish history than we have. His sources were pretty much the same one we have -- the Torah and other scriptures, along with some other legends. And when any of that was lacking, he simply made stuff up.

Feel free to cite examples supporting your presumption.

Also, did Josephus lie about what he witnessed during the Jewish revolt?

When you call someone a liar you should be prepared to provide the supporting evidence.

Bearing false witness is a serious offense, among mythicists and anti-Trumpers, not so much.

The transvestite warriors in Jerusalem.

John T wrote: ↑Tue Sep 13, 2022 4:08 pm Also, did Josephus lie about what he witnessed during the Jewish revolt?

When you call someone a liar you should be prepared to provide the supporting evidence.

Josephus said it; John T believes it:

During the same feast a cow brought by someone for sacrifice gave birth to a lamb right in the midst of the Temple courts;