CHRIST IN HISTORY.

Waikato Times, Volume 100, Issue 16817, 8 June 1926, Page 8

CHRIST IN HISTORY.

IMPORTANT NEW EVIDENCE. FULLER VERSION OF JOSEPHUS. (From a Correspondent.) LONDON, April ii. In a remarkable article just published in the "Diocese of Liverpool Review," Dr. Yachcr Burch—who, in conjunction with Dr. Re.ndcl Harris. has contributed so much important and stimulating work to the study of Christian origins—calls attention to the striking additional evidence afforded by the Slavonic version of Josephus to the historicity of Jesus. The works of Josephus—who was born of a Jewish priestly family about 37-38 A.D., and died some time after 100 A.D., — have come down to us in Greek. The mosl important of them are Ihe "Antiquities" and the "Jewish War." The latter work, which is the earlier in dale, and more valuable, was, as the author himself tells us, originally composed in Aramaic, in order that if might be read by the Jews of the East, who lived in Parthia, Babylonia, Adiabene and Arabia. At a later time be issued a Greek version of this work which is the form in which it, is familiar to us, and it is not at, all improbable was modified in various ways away from the original Aramaic. Unfortunately, this original text has not survived. Tho New Discovery.

Now the great interest attaching to Ihe Slavonic version is that it exhibits a text substantially different in many respects from the ordinary Greek text. The question arises, docs the old Slavonic reflecl an ealier or later type of text? Dr. Burch has no doubt as lo Iho answer lo be given lo this queslion. He says: "A pile of manuscripts was fo«ad, written in the ancient Church language of the Slavs, which contained a translation of Ihe writings of Josephus. Both the "Antiquities" and the "Jewish War" are in them. Wc can blame the post-war period and the Tower of Babel—the two overburdened bearers of excuses for our indolence towards the labour of I bought in these days—that so little notice has been taken of this discoveiy. For it is not only that there has been found another version of Josephus; this version is one in which are preserved long statements conccruing Jesus Christ. Convention ami conscrvalism have inllucnced the few references which have as yet been made Ic the discovery—the witness lo Ci'.rist has been condemned, and Ihe fuller text of Ihe writing rejected." Unfortunately, though the existence of this Slavonic version has been known to scholars for some lime, it has not been properly edited or studied.. Dr. Burch is thoroughly right when he says:—"The subject Imperatively demands thorough study." As Ihe present writer knows from personal experience, it is not at all unlikely to discover early and otherwise lost pieces of literature preserved in old Slavonic. One early Christian Apocalypse at least has been preserved —"The Apocalypse of Abraham."

The Trial Beforo Pilate.

An entirely fresh account of Jesus is, apparently, given in the Slavonic text of tho "Jewish War." This is thus summarised by Dr. Burch: Here "Josephus. tells us," he says:— "(a) That be knows all about the trial of Jesus before Pilate.

"(b) That in the lime of the Emperor Claudius, and of the procurators Cuspius Fadus and Tiberius Alexander, many were the 'slaves' of the wonderworker, Jesus.

"(c) That these preached that their 'Rabbi,' who had died, was risen from the dead, and as well they taught the 'New Law,' which is in opposition to the old Jewish law.

"(d) That these very early messengers of Jesus were teaching others, who and what He was and is, by the help of the- primitive 'documentary' mode which He had inspired and all His messengers had used." A Much-Disputed Reference. It may be that this represents something that stood originally in the text of the original edition of the "War," which was cut out of the Greek edition. The other well-known passage, which refers to Christ appears in the "Antiquities" (xvifi, 3,3), and has given rise to much controversy. It used to be asserted that it was a Christian interpolation. But several very distinguished .lews and Christian critical scholars now accept it in some form as authentic. It runs:— "Now Ihcre was about this time (i.e., about the time of the rising against Pilate . . . .) Jesus, a wise man. "If it be lawful to call him a man." For he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to Him both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles. "He was the Messiah," anil when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men among us, had condemned Him to (lie cross, those that loved Him at the first ceased not (so to do), for He appeared lo them alive again the third day, as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful tilings • concerning Him, and the races of Christians, so named from Him, arc not extinct even now."

Dr. Joseph Klausncr, Ihe brilliant Jewish author of the recently-publish-ed "Jesus of Nazareth," accepts this

passage, apart from the quoted words, as authentic. Hut it is meagre enough, if the authentic character of the Slavonic version can lie established, its importance is obvious. The work is being edited by a Jewish scholar. When fully available, it must bo studied and examined critical}' in detail. For the ultimate verdict of scholarship we must wait. Dr. Burch's View. Dr. Burch summarises the importance of Ihe now text in the following forms:—"lt means very much Unit Josephus knew about Ihe trial of Jesus; it means even much more that he should touch in facts and beliefs concerning Mini as risen from the dead. It is, however, of surpassing value, (hat lie should indicate tlie docunientiiry resources of the preaching of these, slaves of Christ. For we are only just beginning to understand how these Tcslitnoniii sprang from the Lords own way of explaining Himself (o simple men and women, and became the one mode or teaching Him both lo Jews and Creeks and Romans so thai the old worlds they belonged to were turned upside down. An instance of this mode at work — unrecognised as yet by most, readers of the New Testament.—is in Paul's Epistle to Hie Calalians, where he leaches the New Law, that is, the law of Christ's Revelation, wherewith Ihe legal and ritual practices of Judaism were swept aside —-when the message went lo the Jews; and by which the cults of Hellenism were as drastically overthrown —when Ihe message was borne lo the Gentiles. To understand Josepbus and the New Testament, these new things have lo be studied. The great value of tno Jewish historian's witness is because of ils twofold power; Josephus' evidence to the histoiuiD of J sus Llubt is (.1;;at iiul

detailed; and also it is so put that it is confirmed l>y tlie primary evidence for the content and mode of the revelation Jesus came to brins —this is only just now in process of being- recovered for us—and in tu.'n it affirms that eviiicu. This corroboration of one now discovery by another guarantees the genuineness of the Slavonic Josephus and of its reference to Christ.

On the side of language, there are no difficulties save to learn old Slavonic and to be able to show that it has preserved the turns and substance of the Aramaic in which Josephus wrote. Slav monks were early in Syria. We have other books in old Slavonic which have come, for instance, from monasteries in the country where Aramaic is spoken. The new Josephus, then, is the original version in Aramaic, untouched by Gracco-Roman influences; our copies hitherto known have been the Greek edition expurgated to suit the taste of the Roman court. A full edition of Ihe new text is being prepared; and its publication will bring the whole truth to light.