Josephus mentioned at least 17 different jesus characters in his works, but none of them turned out to be the New Testament jesus of Nazareth

July 25, 2014

This is the 2nd article of our 12 part research:

Debunking the Fraudulent christian Apologist List of Extra-biblical but non-contemporary, claimed “sources” used as jesus “evidence.” (Jewish, “Pagan,” Non-christian, “Secular”)

http://tmblr.co/ZkpfQtmt2ygH

Christian Apologist Jewish “Secular Source Evidence” for Historical jesus #1: Josephus

http://tmblr.co/ZkpfQtmtJioQ

Here are the 17 jesus characters:

1. Jesus, son of Phabes – High priest. Ant 15.322
2. Jesus, son of Ananus – Common man prophesied destruction of the temple. War 6.300
3. Jesus, or Jason – High priest. Ant 12.239
4. Jesus, son of Sapphias – Governor of Tiberias. War 2.566, War 2.599; Life 1.066, Life 1.134
5. Jesus, brother of Onias – High priest. Ant 12.237, Ant 12.238, Ant 12.239
6. Jesus, son of Gamaliel – High priest. Ant 20.213, Ant 20.223
7. Jesus, no patronym – Eldest high priest after Ananus. War 4.238, War 4.316, War 4.325
8. Jesus, son of Damneus – High priest. Ant 20.203
9. Jesus, son of Gamala – High priest & Josephus’ friend. War 4.160; Life 1.193, Life 1.204
10. Jesus, [or Joshua] son of Nun – Successor to Moses. Ant 03.049, Ant 03.308; Ant 4.459
11. Jesus, son of Shapat – Principal head of a band of robbers controlling Tiberias, sallies against Vespasian’s messenger Valerian. War 3.450
12. Jesus, son of Thebuthus – One of the priests, delivers to Titus precious things deposited in the temple. War 6.387
13. Jesus, son of Josadek – High priest. Ant 20.231, Ant 20.234
14. Jesus, no patronym – Galilean at head of a band of 600 followers, sent by Ananus & Jesus to depose Josephus. Life 1.200
15. Jesus, no patronym – Condemned to cross by Pilate. He was [the] Christ. Ant 18.063
16. Jesus, no patronym – Captain of those robbers who were in the confines of Ptolemais, allies with Josephus. Life 1.105
*17. Jesus, brother of Jacob – Called the Christ. Ant 20.200

The big question is: If Josephus really mentioned jesus of the NT in a few sentences of:

The Testimonium Flavianum (meaning the testimony of Flavius Josephus) Book 18, Chapter 3, 3 and The Antiquities of the Jews (Book 20, Chapter 9, 1), like christians claim, then why did Josephus say so little about the most famous person in history? Why did he discuss all the other unknown jesus characters more than the most famous?

Why would Josephus write so much more about John the Baptist in his Antiquities of the Jews (Book 18, Chapter 5, 2)?

Further details and locations of the jesus characters:

Jewish Antiquities

03:049 (numerous) Jesus [Joshua] son of Nun.
11:298 Jesus, (son of Eliashib), brother of John – friend of governor Bagoses.
11:299 Jesus, [son of Eliashib] – slain by brother John, the High priest.
11:300 Jesus, [son of Eliashib]
11:301 Jesus, [son of Eliashib] – slain by brother John, the High priest.
12:237 Jesus, brother of Onias III – High priest.
12:238 Jesus, brother of Onias III – Deposed as High priest in favor of Onias = Menelaus
12:239 Jesus, younger brother of Onias = Menelaus – High priest.
12:239 Jesus, brother of Onias III – Renamed Jason. Revolts against Onias = Menelaus.
15:041 Jesus, (brother of Onias III)
15:322 Jesus, son of Phabes – High priest.
17:341 Jesus, the son of Sie – High priest.
18:063 Jesus, no patronym – Condemned to cross by Pilate. He was [the] Christ.
20:200 Jesus, brother of Jacob – Called the Christ.
20:203 Jesus, son of Damneus – High priest.
20:205 Jesus, [son of Damneus] – High priest.
20:213 Jesus, son of Gamaliel – High priest.
20.213 Jesus, son of Damneus – Deposed as High priest.
20:223 Jesus, son of Gamaliel – High priest.
20:234 Jesus, son of Josadek – High priest.

The Jewish War

2:566 Jesus, son of Sapphias – Governor of Tiberias.
2:599 Jesus, son of Sapphias – Governor of Tiberias.
3:450 Jesus, son of Shapat – Principal head of a band of robbers controlling Tiberias.
3:452 Jesus, [son of Shapat]
3:457 Jesus, [son of Shapat] – Departs Tiberius to Taricheae
3:467 Jesus, [son of Shapat]
3:498 Jesus, [son of Shapat]
4:160 Jesus, son of Gamala – Best esteemed, with Ananus ben Ananus, of High priests.
4:238 Jesus, no patronym – Eldest high priest after Ananus.
4:270 Jesus, no patronym – [Eldest high priest after Ananus].
4:283 Jesus, no patronym – [Eldest high priest after Ananus].
4:316 Jesus, no patronym – [Eldest high priest after Ananus].
4:322 Jesus, no patronym – [Eldest high priest after Ananus].
4:325 Jesus, no patronym – [Eldest high priest after Ananus].
4:459 Jesus [Joshua] son of Nun.
6:114 Jesus, no patronym – High priest, deserts to Vespasian.
6:300 Jesus, son of Ananus – Common man prophesied destruction of the temple.
6:387 Jesus, son of Thebuthus – One of the priests, deserts to Titus.

The Life of Flavius Josephus, or Autobiography of Flavius Josephus

1:066 Jesus, son of Sapphias – Governor of Tiberias.
1:067 Jesus, son of Sapphias – [Governor of Tiberias.]
1:105 Jesus, no patronym – Captain of those robbers in the confines of Ptolemais.
1:108 Jesus, no patronym – [Captain of those robbers in the confines of Ptolemais.]
1:109 Jesus, no patronym – [Captain of those robbers in the confines of Ptolemais.]
1:110 Jesus, no patronym – [Captain of those robbers in the confines of Ptolemais.]
1:134 Jesus, son of Sapphias – Governor of Tiberias.
1:178 Jesus, no patronym – Brother of Justus of Tiberias.
1:186 Jesus, no patronym – Brother of Justus of Tiberias.
1:193 Jesus, son of Gamala – High priest & Josephus’ friend.
1:200 Jesus, no patronym – Galilean at head of a band of 600, sent to depose Josephus.
1:204 Jesus, son of Gamala – High priest & Josephus’ friend.
1:246 Jesus, no patronym – Owned a house big as a castle. Governor of Tiberias?
1:271 Jesus, no patronym – Governor of Tiberias.
1:278 Jesus, no patronym – [Governor of Tiberias.]
1:294 Jesus, no patronym – [Governor of Tiberias.]
1:295 Jesus, no patronym – [Governor of Tiberias.]
1:300 Jesus, no patronym – [Governor of Tiberias.]
1:301 Jesus, no patronym – [Governor of Tiberias.]

These lists were compiled by Freethinkaluva22 of www.freethoughtnation.com

To read the works of Josephus:

http://www.sacred-texts.com/jud/josephus/index.htm

*17. Jesus, brother of Jacob – Called the Christ. Ant 20.200

The transliterated form of “Jacob” (Iakob) is used twenty—seven times in the NT, twenty-five times of the patriarch Jacob and twice of the father of Joseph the supposed father of Jesus (Matt. 1:15-16; in Luke 3:23 the father of Joseph is named “Eli”). The other forty-three references in the NT use the Hellenized form Iakobos, which in English editions is translated as “James.” About half of these identify James the brother of John and son of Zebedee. About one fourth of them probably refer to James the brother of the Lord. The remaining references relate to figures often difficult to identify or distinguish.

In addition to the patriarch Jacob, Josephus mentions four other people named Iakobos. The names of these four are translated as “James” in the Loeb Classical Library edition of Josephus. Yet Josephus uses the same Hellenized declinable form of the name for the patriarch Jacob! The other four are James the son of Judas the Galilean (Ant. 20.5.5 §102), James the brother of Jesus the so-called Christ (Ant. 20.9.1 §200), James the bodyguard of Josephus (Vita 18 §96; 46 §240), and James the Idumean leader and son of Sosas (J.W. 4.4.2 §235; 4.9.6 §§521-28; 5.6.1 §249; 6.1.8 §92; 6.2.6 §148; 6.8.2 §380). These four are more or less contemporaries of Josephus. This is no justification for translating their names as anything but “Jacob.”

-James and Jude (Paideia: Commentaries on the New Testament) by Dr. John Painter and Dr. David A. deSilva.