Het Testimonium Flavianum

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David Bakker
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Berichten: 1337
Lid geworden op: ma 28 nov 2011, 00:35

Het Testimonium Flavianum

Bericht door David Bakker »

Ik zat tijdens de paasdagen wat te bladeren in mijn nieuwe aanwinst: de complete werken van Flavius Josephus, een Engelse vertaling (zie: http://www.bol.com/nl/p/the-new-complet ... 000695038/),want dat is goedkoper . Interessant zijn de passages over Pontius Pilatus in de Joodse Antiquiteiten (zie hieronder). Daaruit blijkt dat Pilatus helemaal niet zo'n doetje was als de evangeliën ons willen doen geloven. Hij was heerszuchtig en wreed en werd om die reden uiteindelijk teruggeroepen naar Rome. De evangelisten wilden de Romeinen niet voor het hoofd stoten en de schuld van de Jezus' krusiging op de Joden laden. Daartoe werd het verhaal verzonnen dat de Joden mochten kiezen tussen Jezus en Barabbas. In de Romeinse rechtsgang was dit natuurlijk ondenkbaar.

Te midden van die verhalen over het neerslaan van opstanden staat een passage over Jezus: het beruchte Testimonium Flavianum (hieronder in het rood) waarvan de authenticiteit zeer omstreden is. Ik vermoed dat er oorspronkelijk stond dat de Romeinen korte metten maakte met de door Jezus de Nazarener geleidde gewapende opstand. Later zal ik daar meer argumenten voor aandragen.

http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/tex ... ction%3D63
55] BUT now Pilate, the procurator of Judea, removed the army from Cesarea to Jerusalem, to take their winter quarters there, in order to abolish the Jewish laws. So he introduced Caesar's effigies, which were upon the ensigns, and brought them into the city; whereas our law forbids us the very making of images; on which account the former procurators were wont to make their entry into the city with such ensigns as had not those ornaments. Pilate was the first who brought those images to Jerusalem, and set them up there; which was done without the knowledge of the people, because it was done in the night time; but as soon as they knew it, they came in multitudes to Cesarea, and interceded with Pilate many days that he would remove the images; and when he would not grant their requests, because it would tend to the injury of Caesar, while yet they persevered in their request, on the sixth day he ordered his soldiers to have their weapons privately, while he came and sat upon his judgment-seat, which seat was so prepared in the open place of the city, that it concealed the army that lay ready to oppress them; and when the Jews petitioned him again, he gave a signal to the soldiers to encompass them routed, and threatened that their punishment should be no less than immediate death, unless they would leave off disturbing him, and go their ways home. But they threw themselves upon the ground, and laid their necks bare, and said they would take their death very willingly, rather than the wisdom of their laws should be transgressed; upon which Pilate was deeply affected with their firm resolution to keep their laws inviolable, and presently commanded the images to be carried back from Jerusalem to Cesarea.

[60] But Pilate undertook to bring a current of water to Jerusalem, and did it with the sacred money, and derived the origin of the stream from the distance of two hundred furlongs. However, the Jews were not pleased with what had been done about this water; and many ten thousands of the people got together, and made a clamor against him, and insisted that he should leave off that design. Some of them also used reproaches, and abused the man, as crowds of such people usually do. So he habited a great number of his soldiers in their habit, who carried daggers under their garments, and sent them to a place where they might surround them. So he bid the Jews himself go away; but they boldly casting reproaches upon him, he gave the soldiers that signal which had been beforehand agreed on; who laid upon them much greater blows than Pilate had commanded them, and equally punished those that were tumultuous, and those that were not; nor did they spare them in the least: and since the people were unarmed, and were caught by men prepared for what they were about, there were a great number of them slain by this means, and others of them ran away wounded. And thus an end was put to this sedition.

[63] Now there was about this time 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] Christ. And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him; for he appeared to them alive again the third day; as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him. And the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day.

[85] BUT the nation of the Samaritans did not escape without tumults. The man who excited them to it was one who thought lying a thing of little consequence, and who contrived every thing so that the multitude might be pleased; so he bid them to get together upon Mount Gerizzim, which is by them looked upon as the most holy of all mountains, and assured them, that when they were come thither, he would show them those sacred vessels which were laid under that place, because Moses put them there So they came thither armed, and thought the discourse of the man probable; and as they abode at a certain village, which was called Tirathaba, they got the rest together to them, and desired to go up the mountain in a great multitude together; but Pilate prevented their going up, by seizing upon file roads with a great band of horsemen and foot-men, who fell upon those that were gotten together in the village; and when it came to an action, some of them they slew, and others of them they put to flight, and took a great many alive, the principal of which, and also the most potent of those that fled away, Pilate ordered to be slain.

88] But when this tumult was appeased, the Samaritan senate sent an embassy to Vitellius, a man that had been consul, and who was now president of Syria, and accused Pilate of the murder of those that were killed; for that they did not go to Tirathaba in order to revolt from the Romans, but to escape the violence of Pilate. So Vitellius sent Marcellus, a friend of his, to take care of the affairs of Judea, and ordered Pilate to go to Rome, to answer before the emperor to the accusations of the Jews. So Pilate, when he had tarried ten years in Judea, made haste to Rome, and this in obedience to the orders of Vitellius, which he durst not contradict; but before he could get to Rome Tiberius was dead.
hagenaars

Re: Het Testimonium Flavianum

Bericht door hagenaars »

Ja, dat is wel een interessant boek. Ik kocht mijn exemplaar in Israel, nadat ik hoogst persoonlijk bij Massada naar boven was geklauterd. Ken je Massada?

http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massada
Frans van Dongen
Berichten: 342
Lid geworden op: zo 18 nov 2012, 21:09

Re: Het Testimonium Flavianum

Bericht door Frans van Dongen »

Is dat niet dat rotsplateau, waar in de oudheid een groot aantal joden massaal zelfmoord heeft gepleegd, omdat ze onder Romeins beleg lagen ?
hagenaars

Re: Het Testimonium Flavianum

Bericht door hagenaars »

Ja, inderdaad, dan maar de lucht in, zei Jan van Speijk. Zoiets...

http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_van_Speijk
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