Who Was Flavius Josephus? - The Naked Archaeologist 113 - Last Man Standing

[@ronaldwagner8163]

His writings needed to be approved by Vespasian the question is not whether you can trust Josephus but whether you can trust a Roman emperor whose agenda was to subdue the Jews

[@mohinfahim7280]

A group of Jews are directly mentioned in the Samaritans' Book of Asatir, And after the death of Abraham, Ishmael reigned twenty seven years. And all the children of Nebaot [Ishmael's son] ruled for one year in the lifetime of Ishmael, And for thirty years after his death from the river of Egypt to the river Euphrates; and they built Mecca.” [The Asatir - The Samaritan Book of The “Secret of Moses; Gaster, Moses (1927). VIII, page 262] That is, the descendants of Ishmael (a.s.) began to rule during his lifetime. They built the city of Makkah. In that book, the famous Jewish historian Josephus (37 AD-100 AD) is quoted as saying: Josephus I. 12. 3. 221: "These inhabited all the countries from the Euphrates to the Red Sea, and called it Nabatene." Gen. 25. 18. Pal.Targ.: "And they dwelled from Hindikia (Indian Ocean) to Palusa (Pelusiumt which is before Egypt as thou goest to Atur (Assyria). In Kebra Ch. 83: many countries are enumerated over which Ishmael ruled "Built Mecca." That is, according to Josephus, the Ishmaelites built Mecca.

[@donaldbarry5074]

That assumes Vespasian read and approved the many writings of Josephus; V. was a busy man and died in 70/71 CE when Titius took over the conquest. Believe what you want but don't kid yourself unless the potential truth is unpalatable. Academics believe J was writing significantly later as he had been a Jewish rebellion leader who was as J say himself writes, was captured by the Romans.

[@connoryork6631]

Josephus was well aware of what writing was acceptable by the king

[@queencleo1151]

Thank you for yet another interesting study. Surprisingly this very week, I've been pondering on the writings on the historian Josephus... but what intrigues me is that whatever subject one studies, there's an account of 'Josephus' tied to it! To me, that in itself, is very enigmatic - how is it possible for him to be in all these places at any given time...? I can accept certain accounts that are tangible due to archaeological presence, as the layout of Jerusalem but a great number of his accounts are debatable. I believe, a lot has been written to boost his own recognition for whatever reasons he was pursuing at the time...

[@joshuakelderhouse3755]

*To any and all who worked on the production, "Thank you from the bottom of my heart! You're a blessing in my life, and I praise Him for you and your work!!!"

[@mikev4621]

Masada was originally a bolthole for Herod and was quite sumptuous - there could well have been marble used .But marble got re-purposed in the ancient world ( just like the pyramid's skins were stripped off to build Cairo )

[@मेरेनेपालीमालिक]

Brilliant and truthful historian.

[@franciegwin]

I loved this understanding of Josephus.

[@nikolaiemmanuelbowinkelman5384]

Thank you for your very critical view of hes Life and the addition of the church to he's discription of Jesus. He is the greatest Jewish historian and he suffered so much in the Roman diaspora( Galuth) He became an jewish Outcast in he's time, in the Roman empire, a Jewish betrater. Blessed be hes honest soul🪔 a real Jew

[@Rydonittelo]

There are many references to Jesus in the Apocryphal gospels like the gospel of Thomas and in books like the Acts of Pilate. Although these are not considered Christian canon some of these books were written not long after at least the gospels of Mathew and Luke

[@AshleyMartin-f3x]

One of the man who studied JESUS'S TOMB and the Evidence they found to back it up just be so proud you have it and you and the crew were the first people in there for thousands of years❤❤

[@andrepacheco7726]

There's one wrong assertion with this show: Josephus was not the only one who wrote about Jesus. Tacitus, a Roman historian also wrote about Jesus. Better check your facts people :)

[@seanflynn468]

That was in the next century generations later.

[@TheJCFan]

Youre so right. As soon as I heard him say that I turned the video off. The enemy prys on ignorance.

[@Spidey4Christ]

But, Tacitus lived between 56 AD and 120 AD. Which means that if he wrote it, it was just after the time of Jesus. While Christianity was still Illegal. Why would a Roman politician and historian write about Jesus if he didn’t exist. It could’ve had him killed, unless it was true. Jesus lived, and Tacitus proves that in his writings

[@aricharlap9761]

Tacitus was like 100 years later or more, christians were already spreading the Jesus story by then. How does his account prove anything then? Point is, Can't prove anything about Jesus story from Tacitus. The alleged Josephus account is the only account of Jesus that fits the timeline, it seems pretty clear however, that it was added into the Josephus account by later Christians and isn't at all authentic. It appears pretty randomly in the Josephus account almost out of nowhere, and is completely out of line with Josephus style. Overwhelming consensus of scholars, historians etc agree that it's a later addition by Christians. Anyway, great video, it's great to do your own research and approach everything objectively. Peace and love all.

[@Spidey4Christ]

@@aricharlap9761 He lived less than 30 years after the crucifixion of Jesus. Christianity was also illegal across the entire Roman Empire for about 320 years after the death of Jesus. Anyone who even spoke of Christianity or Jesus was put to death, Roman or not. Why would Tacitus, a well respected historian and politician in Rome and the world, risk his life just to write a story about Jesus. Christ was killed in 33 AD, Tacitus was born in 56 AD. He also says I’m his writings “The Chrestians, who followed a man they called Christ. In which they worshipped like a God.” He not only talks about the Christian faith, he talks about Christ directly. The apostle Paul also writes many letters about Jesus around 50 AD. Check your facts, you can look this stuff up right on your phone.

[@georgietwohands6945]

Love everything about this! Keep it up

[@cruisepaige]

I tried to read Josephus but it was a bit heavy and I was working 60 hours a week at the time. I might go back and try again.

[@supernalbjj]

FLAVIUS JOSEPHUS (Born AD 37): Was a Jewish historian, The Collected Works of Josephus are larger than the Bible. His writings attest to Christ being a wise teacher of jews and gentiles, and that Christ was crucified and appeared to resurrect after 3 days. Among other things. CORENELIUS TACITUS (Born Around AD 52): Was a Roman historian, His writings allude to allude to Christ getting put to death by Pontius Pilate and to the existence of Christian in Rome and Jerusalem at the destruction of the temple in AD 70 LUCIAN OF SAMOSATA: Was a satirist of the second century, He wrote of Christ being crucified and spoke scornfully of Christ and the Christians. SUETONIUS (AD 120): As a Roman historian and a court official under Hardrian, He wrote of Nero punishing Christians. PLINIUS SECUNDUS (PLINY THE YOUNGER): Was the Governor of Bithynia in Asia Minor (AD 112). He killed followers of Christ of all age groups and wrote to emperor Trajan asking how to treat the Christians. TERTULLIAN: Was a Jurist-theologian of Carthage. In a defense of Christianity (AD 197) He wrote about the matter of Christs Divinity being brought before the senate of Rome. THALLUS: Was a Samaritan-born historian around 52 AD. Portions of his writings have been cited by other writers. He is one of the first Gentile writers who mentions Christ. MARA BAR-SERAPION: Wrote a letter some time after AD73, to his son Serapion. He mentions the death of Socrates, Pythagoras and Christ. JUSTIN MARTYR: Around AD 150, He wrote addressing Emperor Antoninus Pius, He referred the emperor to a report from Pontius Pilate that described the crucifixion, nailing of hands and feet, and casting of lots to divide Christs garments amongst themselves. THE JEWISH TALMUDS: Written by Jewish scholars between AD100 to 500. Many of them contain direct, indirect, and veiled reference to Jesus, His miracles, and even to his mother's virgin-pregnancy.

[@howardroark8508]

Thank you

[@RikoJAmado]

Flavious Josephus, wearing a giant tacky gold sundial around his neck: "Doth thou knowst what the time is?"

[@barbaraolson600]

Thank you. Love, light, joy and blessings always. At night becomes all night, this happens to keep us reading.

[@shdwbnndbyyt]

Actually there are more, the issue is that people claim the non-biblical sources are fake. Note also that Josephus used his influence to get the Romans to allow the surviving rabbis to meet in Yavne, where they rewrote Judaism. Also whether you accept the second mention of Jesus or not, the one about James the brother of Jesus is in fact still proof.

[@bonifacioaba2639]

Obviously, this channel just want to strip the name of the Lord Jesus of his divinity in the history outside the bible. They've been doing everything to the best of their ability with the use of so called scientific excavations at the expense of the Catholic Christian faith to make it appear that the Lord Jesus did not exist at all, using mere theoretical conclusions. No wonder, they are all non-Christians or the real Anti-Christ so to speak.

[@HistoryandReviews]

Jesus was a common name as was Jesus. Why do you Christians always think every "James" and "Jesus" is about the biblical ones? Jesus in Josephous is called the son of Annanias not Joseph lol

[@themanshan1]

In the video a great point is made about how we in the modern era wouldn't have Josephus's books at all if some christian scribe had not added the comment about Jesus being the messiah. So that decision to edit Josephus's original work may have shown the scribes knew that his works were important to academia and would have been discarded and not copied again and again if not for that one comment.

[@romanchomenko2912]

Hi Simcha Josephus had access to Pontius Pilates reports in Rome and he was witness to it ,to what happened in 30 AD he also mentioned John the Baptist also and as you mentioned James the brother of Jesus who was excuted in 63 AD .To some Jews he is referred as a traitor but nevertheless an important historian.

[@justblazenone]

He was a traitor to the Jews 1 Corinthians 9:20

[@romanchomenko2912]

@@justblazenone You talking nonsense.

[@maxasaurus3008]

That model of Jerusalem during the second temple is incredible!❤

[@jimsmethurst6113]

I like this guy. He seems to make sense of it all. Well worth watching.

[@claudelara7127]

Awesome information, well presented....thank you

[@rammezfickry1466]

Simcha should get in touch with Joe Atwill regarding Josephus.

[@rainer1980]

One thing Josephus has going for him is that he legitimizes Judaism in real world events, and history. There was never a historian who wrote in a secular way looking from both within, and outside of the founding years of Islam as that faith was beginning.

[@valerieprice1745]

I have to say, the white marble might have been imported, used as cladding, but it's valuable. The Romans may literally dismantled it piece by piece, robbing out the cladding to sell it off. It would bring an immense fortune, even today.

[@danaberg6354]

Actually Simcha is wrong on Josephus' importance to Western Civilization. The Graeco-Roman historians and authors such as Homer, Plato, Herodotus, Pliny the Elder, Pliny the Younger, Julius Caesar etc. are far more important.

[@elliotkey9477]

Wonderful to hear this …

[@larslarsen1444]

Josephus wrote the gospels for the Flavian Caesars.

[@tpayne115]

That's amazing with the names on the shards and the archeological discovery 1962

[@ariloves10]

A former sales manager taught us to tell the truth until this said point. Then he said, " here's where the lie comes in." And this is how we get had. The con man tells truths that get proven, gaining the targets confidence, and trust, then,,, the lie creeps in and is accepted as truth.

[@aaronjanusch6090]

You just described the way almost every power that has been (including all of the major religions) gained popularity and became rulers over their followers. Whenever man's hand is involved you will find corruption, intended or not. You'd be amazed at how the story of God has changed from one group, religion, and all of the sects. People want to be told the truth, rather than putting in the effort to find it for themselves. Churches of every kind depend on this to keep and produce more followers.

[@ariloves10]

@@aaronjanusch6090 yes I would be amazed and am. JWs came to my door when I was 7 years old telling me God's Name was jehovah. And I believed it until recently. Long story but God woke me up after I kept crying and begging. He answered my prayers and revealed it all to me. I know how powerful the lie is, and I'm so grateful I kept searching for the truth. I'm so grateful to Jesus and pray He come quickly. Things are worse than ever. Seems everyone blinded, corrupt, selling out for so little. Sacrificing their lives out of fear because faith is lacking. Honestly it's all heartbreaking. We are like sheep to the slaughter. Thank God for Jesus saving us from some fates worse than death until Jesus steps in. Happy passover/easter/Christ has Risen and Rules!!!

[@mikedollar9007]

There are a multitude of references outside the gospels. Dr. Glenn Kimball is a great source.

[@mikedollar9007]

@Sophie Levant no.. The documents, manuscripts were written by those that were and they come from all walks. Dr. Kimball also heads a university.

[@michaelwallace9531]

Associates for biblical research, is one also.

[@rocketman48]

flavius must have been writing non stop with all his history,but he was a Roman asset,seemingly.

[@lhl9010]

What about Tacitus? Pliny? Suetonius? Thallus? Phlegon? Lucian of Samosata? Celsus? Traditions of the Talmud? Heretical writings?

[@4FYTfa8EjYHNXjChe8xs7xmC5pNEtz]

The evening sky falls over the land, pink at the edges, a deep blue higher up, UMBRACULA, STUDDED WITH STARS.

[@dustydesert1674]

Gritos Incoherentes 🧐

[@frankandersen2614]

great documentary - wow!

[@catnewman4565]

Nope, higher criticism has had to admit the account of Jesus Christ, and His brother James was written by Josephus.

[@MAKDÁVID-KRIŽ]

cat newman Flavius Josephus is the Paul the Judas himself the writer of the first Gospel

[@MAKDÁVID-KRIŽ]

Dave Whatever what if Paul the Roman apostle is the Flavius Josephus the Roman the writer of the first Gospel

[@MAKDÁVID-KRIŽ]

Dave Whatever Romans needed a religion???They always had a religion,a religion for Romans was always a tool to consolidate they power nothing else and it hasn’t changed ever since.I done my part of research of history hence I become more interested in Jewish Bible .The Christianity that we know it today a a fusion of many religions and in my opinion it has very little to do with Judaism other then constantly blaming Jews for everything and demonising them just a Muslim do. I was born in a Catholic family so my views are based on my own experience and interpretation of History and Scriptures without pre set views or objective to believe in this or that in order that I end up in heavens. Judaism was influenced by other religions and has changed over the time.Christianity was a fusion of religion from the start and has changed and influenced Mohammed in creation of his own universal religion where not Caesar (incarnation of Sun God)or Pop was the centre of the religion but Mohammed himself. I wonder whether Abraham,Isaac,Jacob or anyone from Bible could identify themselves with Muslims or Christians or even with Jews in your opinion.Will Ezekiel David be a Jew,Muslim,Christian or a Ephraite like in 1 Samuel 17:12,Ruth 1 and 4,Genesis 49

[@rainer1980]

I realize that the passage at 19:54 saying that Jesus won over many Jews, and Greeks is controversial. But, there are quite a few historians that believe that Jesus, and the Jews spoke three languages: Hebrew for speaking amongst themselves, and/or religious rites, Aramaic for commerce within the region of Mesopotamia, and Greek for intellectual debates with the wider Greco - Roman world. There's even speculation that Pontius Pilate, and a lot of the Roman legions occupying Israel were actually conscripted Greeks. This would make sense if you wanted to be rotating replacement troops in, and out of the region regularly as it would have been a long, and impractical journey to be sending Latin speaking Romans from the Italian peninsula on a consistent basis. Sending Greek speaking Romans from Egypt or Greece itself would have been easier.

[@pmajudge]

AH ! THE NAKED ARCHAEOLOGY ---- HE IS TOTALLY FUNNY IN HIS INFORMATION ! I HAVE ENJOYED THE WITTY REMARKS !!!! GLAD ITS FUN INDEED !! FROM U.K.

[@KerdeaTech]

An alternative view to “someone added to Josephus’s writings that Jesus was the messiah” is that Josephus accepted Christ later in life. He wrote his accounts over a period of time, and he didn’t publish different editions. All writers change over time.

[@junaid1]

BALONEY ! Josephus never accepted anyone as Messiah.

[@curtisquick1582]

@@junaid1 If Josephus writes that Jesus was the messiah, it is very hard to argue that he never accepted anyone as the messiah. I think you would need to show later (more recent) writings by Josephus that indicated he did not accept anyone as the messiah.

[@kneesusforjesus2879]

The Roman senator Tacitus referred to Jesus

[@traverstravers8979]

You are remarkable and your research and indie good luck does favor a prepared mind. That said, your work doesn't need the teen bells and whistles. It's an irritating track. We want to hear you, your thoughts, your discoveries, your theories, straight on, w/o all the jump cuts (they are fine occasionally but not as the established style of the piece) and hipster-dancin. Your work is smart and important. I'm going with that and the occasional aside. It's original and exciting!

[@conniecharley9092]

Hard too be as perfect as Jesus but you can pray to him ask forgiveness but he was righteous and died for our sins arose again now he is at the right side of the father.. oh Jesus forgive us.

[@JosephErnestJr]

sounds like me. when i was a teenager. im pround of how far ive come

[@johnallen2771]

Josephus was certainly a coward and a liar but I'm glad he wrote down what he did. Why nobody else in the whole region ever wrote anything down is a question I've asked myself often. The Biblical authors seemed to write down everything at least a hundred years after it happened, but if Jesus was such a Messiah why weren't more people writing about it when it happened? I know writing wasn't as advanced as it is now, but certainly somebody could have written down something. Maybe some people did but it has gotten lost over the ages.

[@dustydesert1674]

John Allen Refreshing to read your rational comments. These videos are full of comments from outraged Christians. It would seem that Jesus wasn’t well known.

[@johnallen2771]

@@dustydesert1674 I agree Jesus wasn't that well known, maybe in a small area. I would have thought the talk of miracles would have spread like wildfire.

[@HistoryandReviews]

@@johnallen2771 In the gospels jesus has thousands of witnesses and followers yet Acts says there were only around 121 believers lol and this is from the same author of Luke

[@zee3103]

Josephus is not the only one mentioning Jesus of Nazareth as a historical figure, the Roman historian Tacitus mentioned Jesus in his writings.

[@ArnaGSmith]

Love the archaeology / hate your slap stick approach though!

[@rokitman5753]

Great show you mean 😊

[@lhl9010]

I am also troubled by the lack of respect going through locked gates climbing into locked areas that are being preserved, touching things without permission, an arrogance that he is entitled.

[@elizabethhendry4648]

I remember reading somewhere, though I don't remember where, that there was found in the Vatican, a bit of text, describing Jesus in a 'wanted' notice.

[@thejewishredneckprepper4675]

Shalom

[@kenlyneham4105]

What Josephus was purported to have written was not facts. Josephus has a reputation of being both a traitor and a liar. Certainly that paragraph explaining about Jesus, goes against EVERYTHING thing he believed in as a high priest amongst the Hebrews. ",,A wise man, if one ought to call him a man, he was the Messiah". This infers that Jesus was the Messiah. NO Jewish Rabbi believed that the Messiah had come, certainly not in the form of Jesus. That reference did NOT appear in any of the works of Josephus until after the time of Eusebius in 324 AD. Origen spoke volumes about Josephus and his works but like all other Christian scholars, he never mentioned the 'Testimonium Flavianum' until Eusebius did, in 324 AD. As with much of what the author of this video says, his evidence of the authenticity of Josephus is just that, his evidence, and when it's all boiled down, it is rubbish painted as conjecture. Josephus WAS a liar as was Eusebius, for more than likely Eusebius added the famous paragraph, The Testimonium Flavianum.

[@Charlie-ii5rr]

I think this video gave Josephus a bad rap. I read (although I can't remember where) that Josephus was the leader of those rebels in the cave, and since suicide was strictly taboo in Judaism, it fell to him to be the last man standing, kill himself, and face the wrath of God. This answers the poker player question. The fact that he surrendered, to the Romans, may seem, to the modern mind, like a cowardly act of betrayal, but not to the people in that era. The Romans were a great people, but they were also vindictive and cruel. They were masters at the art of slow agonizing death and had a habit of making examples of people that crossed them. Being taken alive by them was a colloquial standard for the worst thing that could happen to a person. The fact that he was able to smooth talk his way out of that jam was fortunate for him and us. Our knowledge of the ancient world would be much less without him.

[@patrickjohnson7592]

Joseph us, was a member , of the Royal Flavian family. The Flavians, changed, the Gospel, of the black Jews, to their religion.

[@cleverfitz779]

Good evening everyone

[@radioflyer9490]

I watched this interesting video to find out more about Josephus. As a Christian I didn’t come to believe in Jesus as my saviour because of Josephus so whatever he has to say about him wouldn’t change anything for me. Today is Easter the day we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus from the tomb he borrowed for three days after he was crucified. You can read all about it by eye wittiness accounts who were locked in their homes after Christ’s death, afraid of the Jewish leaders. After Jesus appeared to them they were changed men and women. They became bold and most of Jesus followers were so convinced that he was who he said he was that they died for their belief in him. They were convinced as were the Roman guards who were bribed to keep quiet. For me the amazing prophecies written in the Old Testament hundreds of years before Jesus came to earth describing his coming is enough and after 50 some years of walking with him I have no doubts he is the messiah and saviour! Read all about it in the eye witness accounts in the books of Mathew, Mark, Luke and John.

[@HistoryandReviews]

Easter and Christmas are pagan

[@chaishalom8701]

What about Tacitus? Didn't he also write about Jesus from a historical perspective?

[@deniserowley3329]

All historians embellish their writing

[@justshootnoutdoors.8711]

You are not correct in assuming, or asserting that Josephus was the only secular, or non bias reference to Jesus of the Bible. The Babylonian Talmud, Tacticus, and Pliny the younger referenced Jesus of the Bible. If you were interested in facts rather than your own personal theology you would have done due diligence to find facts. Socrates once said "Let us follow truth wherever it may lead." It is our duty to follow truth even if it brings us face to face with the reality we may be wrong!

[@MidnightJerry]

One thing that we can be certain of is, that Josephus did not exaggerated in his book "The Jewish Wars", reporting, that cannibalism did take place in the besieged Jerusalem, because it was foretold to happen, by more than one prophet. The first one was Moses himself, who foretold this. Moses has written in the Book of Deuteronomy: -- * " You will be so desperate for food, that you will even eat the children that the LORD has given you." (Dt. 28:53-57). * " ..Their hunger is never satisfied. They will even eat their own children!" (Isaiah, 9:20). * " ..Parents in Jerusalem will eat their children, and children will eat their parents." (Ezekiel, 5:100. * " I will cut off your food supply and let you starve." Ezekiel, 5:16). --- Josephus writes, that those macabre prophecies were fulfilled, and reports in Chapter 20, the following: -- ** "There was a woman, Mary the daughter of Eleazar, from the village of Bethuzub. She was of good family and very rich and fled with the rest of the population to Jerusalem...finding food was almost impossible to find - and while hunger was eating her heart out, and rage was consuming her still faster, she yielded to the suggestion of fury and necessity, and in defiance of all natural feelings, laid hands on her own child, a baby at breast. 'Poor little mite!' she cried. 'In war, famine and strife, why should I keep you alive? Come, you must be food for me..' As she spoke, she killed her son, then roasted him and ate one half, concealing and saving up he rest". --- Most horrible thing, but Moses, Isaiah, Ezekiel and others prophets have foretold this terrible events, so it would be unreasonable to think, that Josephus was exaggerating about this, wouldn't it?

[@mikev4621]

That wasn't a hyena at 14.55 mins and why would a hyena drag a human body up to the top of Masada ?

[@WhoDoUthinkUr]

I love this show

[@masteryoda2918]

When the details are in line with what they want to hear then its genuine - when it isn't then is a fault, or fake. But actually not.

[@theresawilliams4296]

This guy's evidence is the bible, and he will twist and turn them story to fit his biblical narrative. In other words, he is a religious bullshit artist.

[@deborahswart1718]

@@theresawilliams4296 And you are...who?

[@eunicechannel837]

@@deborahswart1718 he was sent to rome in 64 AD to burn the city and blame it on christians.

[@eunicechannel837]

@@deborahswart1718 he made unscrupulous changes on text of the new testaments, invent characters and hijacked the works of the real authors. Changes on the writings was made early to avoid detection. He was joseph son of Mathias.

[@deborahswart1718]

@@eunicechannel837 Do you have proof that is the case?

[@valerieprice1745]

It's actually rather shocking to hear these Marxist, atheist, so-called secular archeologists denying that Josephus wrote it. They make themselves ridiculous. They literally sound ignorant. It makes me wonder if they're really just actors someone hired to say it for the program. If they really attended university, one would think they would know better than to go right out there and try to sound ignorant. It's totally Josephus' style. If there was more to it, or more flowery, I might have my doubts, but Josephus is a 'facts matter' writer, who conveys as much information as he possibly can in as few words as possible. I wonder if they think he didn't write the description of King Herod or Vespasian. Why don't they doubt his description of other people in the text? Josephus referred to the Christians as though everyone knew all about them, while he went in depth to describe the Essenes. There's no reason to doubt his description of Christ, as he seemed to refer to Christians kindly.

[@TheRevering]

WHAT ABOUT TACITUS!!! "no other mentions of Jesus besides Josephus", LIES! What is this crap.... Even atheist scholars MOCK the idea that He didn't exist. Utter lunacy.

[@deborahswart1718]

IDD, even Atheists can think more objective abt the existence of the historic Jesus from Bethlehem than religiously biased ppl who are so adamant to deny His existence that they will try everything & anything under the sun to extract His supposed non-existence out of rocks, even if they have to stretch the so-called proof across the whole flippen planet! So it is ultimately abt personal feelings and not objective scholarship.

[@justblazenone]

Josephus is the biblical Saul. Ralph Ellis proves this

[@tpayne115]

Josephus was a badass and chosen by God, i wonder where his decentances are.

[@jimratter5561]

What you say is not true. There are many more references to Jesus outside the new testament, for instance Plinny, Tacitus and the letters of several ordinary citizens.

[@angelrod4424]

Just because he claimed that Jesus was the Messiah, now he's a lyer a trader plus more against the man that was their in Jesus time .

[@masteryoda2918]

Mini-Jerusalem!!! - Accurate except that Josephus described it different to what they modelled. - The Fort Antonio IS the large flat surface they think is the temple mount, IS the Roman Fort - not that pitiful little version they have.

[@frankiewally1891]

Simcha please tell me in what book did Josephus wrote about this Jesus?

[@maxinewest4096]

Seems like a interesting character

[@RK-fi7ek]

luminative program about one of the prolific historian of the antiquity. Very neutral and resoning analyse.

[@davidhynes9683]

It is not the only reference. In Herod's letter to his friend the Caesar he mentions Jesus. Pontius Pilate's letter to the Caesar Augustus? he mentions and describes Jesus. Another person described Jesus has having eyes the colour of the sea.

[@duderama6750]

Pilate served under Tiberius, not Augustus. All supposed letters from Pilate are fictional.

[@davidhynes9683]

@@duderama6750 Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus

[@davidhynes9683]

Notice the word Augustus

[@duderama6750]

@@davidhynes9683 Nobody refers to Tiberius as Augustus, his predecessor. That would be asinine. There are no surviving letters from Pilate to anyone. Got another asinine response to that one too? Like you really meant email?

[@pool2587]

Gomez de Zurara circa 1450, Alphonso V

[@ckbeep1313]

This is another example why people have such questions and believing the bible. The church twists things to their own benefit such as adding that about jesus to Josephuses writings. what else has been done that we do not know of and what else may come to light.

[@Davelakful]

Confused why he is referenced by most to be a reliable source?

[@erniemorones3585]

Seems that the main point here is to try and say Jesus Christ never existed, by saying Josephus exaggerated they can say that his account of Jesus is bogus.

[@lhl9010]

that is not what they are saying they are sharing that different people do not agree on what Josepheus presents they do not say what is right or wrong, presenting information so that others can decide for themselves or chose to accept that others believe.

[@erniemorones3585]

casting doubt is the same as character assassination. To discredit someone is to discredit all they say. Josephas was a man and could have been wrong of differ on some points, however the attack stick out. Thanks for the classy reply I really appreciate it. @@lhl9010

[@anonymous3174]

Theres a lot of mistakes and assumptions in this video. For one, josephus isnt the only source for jesus. Theres also pilates letter to ceasar. Josephus had a vision from god. He predicted the very day that the romans would finally breach the wall. He predicted vespasians ascension to emperor. I believe this how he knew he would survive the casting of lots.

[@angrytedtalks]

So James, brother of Jesus wrote some stuff about Jesus? I'll bet that's way more revealing about Christianity than a Temple Priest turned traitor to Rome. Perhaps if the Dead Sea scrolls were properly and completely restored we would even have writings from Jesus himself. Now that would trump Flavius Josephus, wouldn't it!

[@HistoryandReviews]

Jesus never wrote anything and James in his letter only mentions a Jesus one time hahaha shows how not important he was

[@angrytedtalks]

@@HistoryandReviews I think you will find that the Gospel according to Jesus was not included in the Bible compilation of 325AD. There were many texts not included; the authenticity will never be known.

[@lhl9010]

@@HistoryandReviews James was the leader of the church in Jerusalem perhaps he was a bit busy with day to day

[@lhl9010]

@@angrytedtalks I think that many books were taken out, why is most of the new testament written by Paul who was in contradicton with the disciples, spent only 2 weeks with them in 15 years and yet he has the most space.

[@jonshaffer6552]

I certainly wouldn't make him the captain of a ship

[@danielcunningham5940]

'The only reference outside of the bible to Jesus." I have myself seen the book by Josephus, "The Jewish wars" written about 100 a+AD, ( an English translation of the Greek or Latin ) in which Josephus quotes the Roman governor as saying the Jesus went around preaching and curing people and he was the handsomest man in the world. I saw this book in a special collection at the A.R.E. library in Virginia Beach in 1994.

[@lhl9010]

"the handsomest man in the world"?

[@artheis1342]

I'm still having a hard time with his description of the Jewish Temple in relationship to the Fort Antonio. What happened to the 600' footbridge that connected the Temple to the Fort as he described?.

[@themorningstar8774]

Arthr hslr Which higher criticism are you referring to?

[@krimeincorporatedod4895]

Who is he to say Flavius didn’t write the passage about Jesus? Maybe he didn’t know Jesus when he first spoke of him or maybe he actually found God. U can say there are “endless” possibilities as to why there are a dozen names on broken pottery and babble on not even being able to name one, but its completely impossible for someone to change their opinion or even religion. From what I’ve heard Flavius had a completely different opinion of Rome until he was under their control too.

[@Regularkatie]

im on a naked archaeologist marathon, and i can't figure out the belly dancer in the elevator. or naked archaeology for that matter.

[@JohnA000]

I like your videos but really, 3 commercial in the first 9 min. too ridiculous. back(clik)

[@angelrod4424]

how many skeletons they found ??? 3 ...4 ?? marvel ?? Exactly

[@GhostofTradition]

imagine this guy is claiming someone else has a religious ajenda but doesn't mention his own...

[@lhl9010]

what would that be since he is jewish, reporting on christian events

[@yvonnesmith6152]

Simcha is the Josephus of our times 😂

[@ravinroyer]

Obviously this Jewish man is prejudiced. If he had done his home work well he would have known that other Roman historians like Tacitus and Pliny mention Jesus Christ. Their own Talmud make indirect references to Jesus. This guy wrote a book called Lost Gospel where he acknowledges historicity of Jesus. Try harder man

[@MAKDÁVID-KRIŽ]

Ravin Royer You missed three point.Flavius Josephus is the Paul the Judas the Roman

[@mikev4621]

only problem is that Tacitus and Pliny didn't write until much after Josephus was dead .That made it hard for him to read their stuff

[@whidoineedthis]

You didnt read the whole passage about jesus from josephus....it literally describes what he looked like and who he really was. Josephus wrote that he had white hair, about 3.5 cubits tall, and had black skin. He was the messiah. You guys gotta study and find the ORIGINAL publication because the updated english version has purposely left if out

[@Elinoleah1]

Iesous is a prophet and recognised as but one son of god. Martyrdom is the highest physical form in history of belief in disputes to display weight for a cause.

[@nikolaiemmanuelbowinkelman5384]

Yes, you find he's comoled description of Jesus in a older russian version.

[@lhl9010]

your comment is not a quote, you have a mistranslation of the word black and white the translations for the time were similar to what we term dark and light, not black and white,

[@texasyearbooks9733]

Um, Jesus is mentioned in the Qur'an also. So Josephus is NOT the only account outside of the gospels.

[@mikev4621]

When was the Qur'an written though?

[@hellifiknow1315]

You said can we trust it's author? If a jewish person had told you it is "tradition" you would trust that without question. Agenda

[@trishfreyer2004]

His written words line up with the bible no matter how much of a liar. He verifies that a man named Jesus lived and performed miracles. Which is a question so many people have today.

[@mikeherbst1825]

Leave my elevator alone.

[@angelrod4424]

Yeah but they only found a few skeletons not lots of it . No mass Graves of skeletons. Never ask a unbeliever someone with out bias .

[@toosiyabrandt8676]

Hi In no way shape or form is Catholicism ' The Church of Yeshua Ha Mashiach'. It is paganism with bells on! This is shallow research! The Gospels were not disputed as inaccurate by their contemporaries. They are journalistic accounts of real events. Also study the Shroud in Turin research project. Shalom to us only in Christ Yeshua.

[@MAKDÁVID-KRIŽ]

:-) Flavius Josephus was the Paul the Judas who called himself Roman and a apostle that mixed with Greeks

[@HistoryandReviews]

The gospels are not journalistic lol. Shroud of Turin is proven fake

[@adelalax3553]

Irony he got a bad reputation because of the Roman’s and he could have been ignored or called a liar but got “saved” by the Roman church, if this is what this video showed it was Catholic priest when you said that by the way Catholics are not Christians they are idol worshipers!

[@beckybrynjolfsson]

Jesus multiplied the loaves and the fishes as an act of rebellion against the romans who were oppressing and starving the people. He was furious about the mistreatment of the people so he gave them an abundance of food without having to buy it. He and the apostles taught the people how to multiply food and do other miracles freeing them from the romans. It gave them great pleasure to help the people and relieve their suffering. The romans hated them and resented their utter defeat. In your face romans!😂 If you think of how much Jesus and the apostles and their families loved the people you would see this all out war against the romans. The romans killed people, Jesus raised them from the dead. The romans injured people and Jesus healed them. The romans starved people and Jesus fed them....etc... The fighting was intense.

[@valso1210]

Funny that you can trust 100% Josephus description of the city but you can't accept his short account of the existence of the Messiah. To me it is just the case of not believing what is not convenient to me. Politics always. The powerful writing the history until the truth comes up unstoppable.

[@EricHowl]

This series is wonderful but also tends to be 2 main things: propaganda for Judaism, and propaganda against Christianity.

[@HistoryandReviews]

Just as Christianity is against Judaism even though Jesus and the apostles werent

[@lhl9010]

I don't see that at all, your bias is showing. He asks questions and many times has shown that either way can be supported as he has here

[@anonymous3174]

Where is the proof that the mention of jesus was a later addition?

[@commentsedited]

Circumstantial evidence. No mention of jesus in any other writers work prior to 380s. Even though josephus is mentioned. Josephus is Jewish. Why would a jew write about a christ when they did not accept jesus as messiah. The word christ is used instead of messiah. Only Christian religion used the word christ. From the Greek christos. Ergo. It's fake. Not to mention that josephus talked about 10 or so Jesus's.

[@realdealdaveabramyk9005]

This guy seems to omit the Roman historian Tacitus mentions Jesus and his followers, he mentions it rather dismissively as an annoyance but it’s almost what you would expect to hear.

[@themorningstar8774]

Davey Mcdreamy The issue is that Tacitus is writing 150 years after Jesus was supposed to have been put to death He is not considers contemporary and is probably just regurgitating what christians of the time has been saying Also much like Josephus, there is reason to believe that the single passage written by Tacitus is a later interpolation and not written by Tacitus himself

[@realdealdaveabramyk9005]

The Morningstar I would agree with you, except that in academia Tacitus is considered a good source for that period with regards to anything other than christ. So it would appear to be a double standard

[@themorningstar8774]

Tacitus is considered a good source for -his- period, how could he be considered a good source for events that happened decades before he was born let alone before he was writing? As I said even if and it’s a big if the single, only passage Tacitus writes about Jesus is legitimate, it’s still from 150 years after the original time, so all Tacitus is recording is what christians of the time we’re saying at best

[@lhl9010]

@@themorningstar8774 if it was written later by Christians why would they write dismissively of it

[@lhl9010]

@@themorningstar8774 perhaps we should dismiss all historical writings of periods after the time, even though what many writers do is gather information from many sources and then produce historical books

[@adelalax3553]

You have more evidence on Josephus to be true! then you do on Mohammed! And Muslims still believe on Mo! I believe Josephusin according with the prophecies of Jesus Christ in Mathew 24, mark13 and Luke 21and Jeremiah, and Daniel sooo if the Bible is true then Josephus wins by a landslide! Thank for this very informative video and for your time spent on this, blessing always. Peace 🕊️

[@musketbal]

Where are any other sides to this documentary?