Lowjack
Senior Member
This would be the second time it has been witnessed and Heard over Jerusalem .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEIkI4_L-rM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEIkI4_L-rM
funny. I have always felt josephus to be fairly reliable. Where do you feel he was unreliable?
funny. I have always felt Josephus to be fairly reliable. Where do you feel he was unreliable?
A big tip off is his relationship with the Roman emperor and government. While the Romans were burning and destroying most of the other manuscripts of the period, Josephus' works are esteemed and preserved nicely by them. Why? Because they had Josephus in their back pocket.
This is not to say there are not many truths mixed in with his account, but I do not trust it all to be unbiased fact.
so, you are saying you don't have any proof that he was unreliable, it is just a gut feeling because his writings were preserved?
A big tip off is his relationship with the Roman emperor and government. While the Romans were burning and destroying most of the other manuscripts of the period, Josephus' works are esteemed and preserved nicely by them. Why? Because they had Josephus in their back pocket.
This is not to say there are not many truths mixed in with his account, but I do not trust it all to be unbiased fact.
Josephus was captured by the Roman's..I can't remember the name of the city, but he fought them hard. Once captured and of course known by the Roman's he tried to broker a deal between the zealots and the Roman's to save Jerusalem. The zealots would have none of that. Josephus' parents and family were behind the wall. He knew what was coming to them...He was trying to save them and the Great City.
in my opinion,reflect a two-faced bias, catering to both the Jews and Rome.
Ain't that a lot like saying " I voted republican and democrat for president"?
Everyone is biased. Period.
But the things that Josephus reports have proven to be true the majority of the time. Like the location of Herod's grave, and he does report the Temple siege and destruction with accuracy.
He reports his captivity and his marriages.
Do you feel Daniels reports while in Babylonian captivity reliable? After all, he fought against them, and was taken into slavery. He was raised in the kings court and became the 2nd most powerful man in the kingdom. Surely you view his writings as biased too?
Daniel refused to compromise his convictions, even when facing death.He was biased to the truth of God's word.He did not let fear of man sway his faith....unlike Josephus.
I think it's important for you to reexamine your thought here.
I've read the same argument you're making by Jews before, many are not fond of the history that Josephus recorded so they attack the messenger.
Josephus was in need of swaying in his faith, all non believers in Christ were in need of swaying.
Wasn't Luke paid to report back to Theophilus ?
Maybe his reports were tainted too?