Year 94 CE – Josephus’s book Jewish Antiquities appears on the market. It is read privately, publicly, and its stories are passed on by direct and indirect listeners. Of particular interest is the story about Jesus whom his disciples proclaimed Christ, called Testimonium Flavianum. Enthusiasts spread this story by word of mouth and thus interest in it grows. This mechanism works identically today in the case of Marian apparitions.
Year 95-120 – As a result of the growing popularity of the message about Jesus Christ and the expectations of recipients, a tradition is created in two main directions. First of all, there is a trend for reported revelations. Secondly, the figure of the historical Jesus is gradually being built. The revelations are used by writers to create heroes of the movement since little is known about Jesus himself – The Shepherd of Hermas, the Letters of Paul. It is a recognized form of developing religious content regardless of religion – someone once had a revelation, so his legacy is important. Other writers creatively supplement the concise Testimonium note with an invented narrative and message – quotes from Jesus, his colleagues, his family, Jerusalem, the Passion narrative with an increasingly longer introduction. Gospels are being written. The scriptures initially have little significance. The Christian movement is still based on charismatic preachers preaching various messages.
Year 120 CE – Marcion’s first organized church. Marcion introduces a missionary structure that prepares missionaries in a standard way. They are given a New Testament set (*Ev and Pailine Corpus) that replaces the creation and charisma of earlier preachers. These unique communication talents cease to be important. Thanks to this, both the gospels and the Pauline Corpus begin to become dominant literary positions in Christianity.
Year 100-140 synchronization of the gospel and Paul’s letters called the Acts of the Apostles.
144 CE Rome imitates Marcion and creates its own structure, gathering together all the centers threatened by Marcion’s organization. This rivalry is of enormous importance for the development of the Christian movement
Accident at work. Josephus only wanted to enhance the story with big words designed to excite the reader. Well, it turned out a little better than he planned. Excited recipients bought his Jesus and creatively developed it further.
The question is where Josephus got the information about the man from 30 CE, whom he first described in 94 CE. From his own head or from some word of mouth? Ultimate question..
For me, the whole thing is legit because I finally read Josephus myself and I know what author I’m dealing with. Jesus is a romantic hero like a highwayman from folk tales. He was crucified, but there were those who loved him and called him Christ. The same with other Sign Prophets that he writes about – they are bandits but they dared to take up some anti-system challenge. You really don’t need much. Someone read this story publicly. A listener asked, “Tell us more about this Jesus.” The narrator replied, “I don’t know anything else.” “Then find out more,” the audience replied. This is how it is in this business of creators creating for fame and applause.
Josephus is similar to Henryk Sienkiewicz and Heinrich Graetz. They both wrote pseudo-historical books to comfort hearts. Critics hated them for their harmful lies and audiences loved them.
The problem with 1Clem is that it is biblical scholars who have established its authorship and date from its premises. Not from the evidence. This is some monstrous letter, the existence of which is confirmed around 160-170 CE. I am of the opinion that it was expanded because it is easy to do and explain. The letter quotes, among others, various gospels and the Acts of the Apostles and several letters of Paul. All this is too much for 97 CE but as I say, his creation could have been multi-stage and started in 97 CE
Hello Bart and interns,
This isn’t so much a question for the discussion here, but more a personal question for Bart or whomever that I have regarding the period between 70 CE and 400 CE and the Earliest Greco-Roman Church Fathers who debated and compiled the New Testament canon. In other words, the next generation(s) of Fathers/Apostles after the original 12 disciples/apostles of Jesus/Yeshua. My question is this:
“Were any of the 1st or 2nd generations of earliest of earliest Church Fathers/Bishops born into and descended from Homeland Judaism and one or both of their parents were Homeland Jewish like Jesus/Yeshua? In other words, in my research so far of all the earliest Church Fathers/Bishops who debated and later authorized the New Testament “canon” in 367 CE and after, I could not find one single Father/Bishop who descended from Homeland Jewish origins and might thoroughly, extensively understand who the actual Yeshua/Jesus was in his “The Way” Movement.”
I’m trying to leave no stone unturned on this and would greatly appreciate Bart’s or his interns knowledge to assist me if possible.
Kind thanks in advance.
BDEhrman
FreedomBen
evgendob
Robert
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