questions ab't Josephus and TF

[djconklin]

I have a number of questions about the TF.  I will not list them all here at this time.  One at a time.

1) It is said that when Josephus introduces a term that his reader might not understand, he explains what is meant.  In the TF, we have (the English transtion) "He was the Christ."  It has been noted that since Josephus didn't explain what it meant and that if it meant the Jesus was a political threat, then Josephus would not have written it and thus it was interpolated.  I'm wondering if we haven't been mistranslating it and that what the English should read: "He was anointed"?

Related to that is the claim that the term 'christos' may also mean "greased" or "smeared."  This brings up several questions:

1) Is there an online Greek-English lexicon that could confirm that claim?
2) Is there site we can use to see if those terms have been applied to a human being in Greel literature from the time?

[timoneill]

Jun 11, 2016 16:41:01 GMT djconklin said:

I have a number of questions about the TF.  I will not list them all here at this time.  One at a time.

1) It is said that when Josephus introduces a term that his reader might not understand, he explains what is meant.  In the TF, we have (the English transtion) "He was the Christ."  It has been noted that since Josephus didn't explain what it meant and that if it meant the Jesus was a political threat, then Josephus would not have written it and thus it was interpolated.  I'm wondering if we haven't been mistranslating it and that what the English should read: "He was anointed"?

The claim that he always explained terms or words the audience may not understand may or may not be true, but there are multiple examples of Josephus saying people, places and things were "called" various things without him explaining why this was so. Some examples:

" ... he should find them between Jerusalem and the ascent of Engedi, at a place called 'the Eminence', and that he should not fight against them."
(λεγομένης δ᾽ Ἐξοχῆς)
(Antiquities IX.1.2)

" ... Pacorus left with Herod two hundred horsemen, and ten men, who were called 'the Freemen'..."
(δέκα τῶν λεγομένων ἐλευθέρων)
(Antiquities XIV.13.5)

"Jonathan and his colleagues .... raised a report of their own contrivance, that Roman horsemen were seen at a place called 'Union', in the borders of Galilee ... "
(κατὰ τόπον λεγόμενον Ὁμόνοιαν)
(Life 54)

Related to that is the claim that the term 'christos' may also mean "greased" or "smeared."  This brings up several questions:

1) Is there an online Greek-English lexicon that could confirm that claim?
2) Is there site we can use to see if those terms have been applied to a human being in Greel literature from the time?

The word "Christos" is used to refer to the Messiah and other anointed people (kings, priests) in the Septuagint translation of the Old Testament. It makes no sense that the translators would use this word if it wasn't understood to mean "anointed with oil" as well as "smeared". So this argument fails as well.



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[djconklin]

Thanks Tim!