Josephus on Jesus
The extant
manuscripts of the book
Antiquities of the Jews, written by the first-century Jewish historian
Flavius Josephus around 93–94 AD, contain two references to
Jesus of Nazareth and one reference to
John the Baptist.
The first and most extensive reference to Jesus in the
Antiquities, found in
Book 18, states that Jesus was the
Messiah and a wise teacher who was crucified by
Pontius Pilate. It is commonly called the
Testimonium Flavianum. Almost all modern scholars reject the authenticity of this passage in its present form, while most scholars nevertheless hold that it contains an authentic nucleus referencing the life and execution of Jesus by Pilate, which was then subject to
Christian interpolation or alteration. However, the exact nature and extent of the Christian redaction remains unclear.
Modern scholarship has largely acknowledged the authenticity of the second reference to Jesus in the
Antiquities, found in
Book 20, Chapter 9, which mentions "the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ, whose name was James." This reference is considered to be more authentic than the
Testimonium.
Almost all modern scholars consider the reference in
Book 18, Chapter 5 of the
Antiquities to the imprisonment and death of
John the Baptist also to be authentic and not a
Christian interpolation. A number of differences exist between the statements by Josephus regarding the death of John the Baptist and the
New Testament accounts. Scholars generally view these variations as indications that the Josephus passages are not interpolations, since a Christian interpolator would likely have made them correspond to the New Testament accounts, not differ from them. Scholars have provided explanations for their inclusion in Josephus' later works ...
In the estimation of
James Dunn, there is "broad consensus" among scholars regarding what the
Testimonium would look like without the interpolations. According to Dunn's reconstruction, the original passage likely read:
Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man. For he was a doer of startling deeds, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. And he gained a following both among many Jews and many of Greek origin. And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him. And the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day.
In this passage, which is based on
John P. Meier's reconstruction, Jesus is called a "wise man", but "lawful to call him a man" and "he was the Christ" are removed, as is the reference to the resurrection. According to
Bart D. Ehrman, Meier's reconstruction is currently the most accepted among scholars.
Geza Vermes has performed a detailed analysis of the
Testimonium and modified it to remove what he considers the interpolations. In Vermes' reconstruction "there was Jesus, a wise man" is retained, but the reference to "he was the Christ" is changed to "he was called the Christ" and the resurrection reference is omitted. Vermes states that the
Testimonium provides Josephus' authentic portrayal of Jesus, depicting him as a wise teacher and miracle worker with an enthusiastic group of followers who remained faithful to him after his crucifixion by Pilate, up to the time of Josephus. Vermes's version reads:
Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man. For he was a doer of startling deeds, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. And he gained a following both among many Jews and many of Greek origin. He was called the Christ. And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him. And the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day.
