Why don't we know the date Jesus rose up from the dead?

[Thor]

You seem into this today, Thor, so let me offer you another little tidbit.

This excerpt is from Josephus, The Jewish War, Book VI, Chapter 5.3

Pay close attention to the words and actions of the Roman Procurator, Albinus, and to the lack of reply given by this "Jesus."

But, what is still more terrible, there was one Jesus, the son of Ananus, a plebeian and a husbandman, who, four years before the war began, and at a time when the city was in very great peace and prosperity, came to that feast whereon it is our custom for every one to make tabernacles to God in the temple, (23) began on a sudden to cry aloud, "A voice from the east, a voice from the west, a voice from the four winds, a voice against Jerusalem and the holy house, a voice against the bridegrooms and the brides, and a voice against this whole people!" This was his cry, as he went about by day and by night, in all the lanes of the city. However, certain of the most eminent among the populace had great indignation at this dire cry of his, and took up the man, and gave him a great number of severe stripes; yet did not he either say any thing for himself, or any thing peculiar to those that chastised him, but still went on with the same words which he cried before. Hereupon our rulers, supposing, as the case proved to be, that this was a sort of divine fury in the man, brought him to the Roman procurator, where he was whipped till his bones were laid bare; yet he did not make any supplication for himself, nor shed any tears, but turning his voice to the most lamentable tone possible, at every stroke of the whip his answer was, "Woe, woe to Jerusalem!" And when Albinus (for he was then our procurator) asked him, Who he was? and whence he came? and why he uttered such words? he made no manner of reply to what he said, but still did not leave off his melancholy ditty, till Albinus took him to be a madman, and dismissed him. Now, during all the time that passed before the war began, this man did not go near any of the citizens, nor was seen by them while he said so; but he every day uttered these lamentable words, as if it were his premeditated vow, "Woe, woe to Jerusalem!" Nor did he give ill words to any of those that beat him every day, nor good words to those that gave him food; but this was his reply to all men, and indeed no other than a melancholy presage of what was to come. This cry of his was the loudest at the festivals; and he continued this ditty for seven years and five months, without growing hoarse, or being tired therewith, until the very time that he saw his presage in earnest fulfilled in our siege, when it ceased; for as he was going round upon the wall, he cried out with his utmost force, "Woe, woe to the city again, and to the people, and to the holy house!" And just as he added at the last, "Woe, woe to myself also!" there came a stone out of one of the engines, and smote him, and killed him immediately; and as he was uttering the very same presages he gave up the ghost.

One wonders where "Mark" got his ideas from!

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?sea...ersion=NIV

Very interesting! I often run into believers who cite Josephus as a source for proving that "Jesus" really lived. I always point out that Josephus was born after "Jesus" supposedly died, so anything he writes about "Jesus" is, at best, hearsay. I've also read that many historians believe that Bishop Eusebius had the passages about Jesus inserted in Jospehus's writings sometime in the 4th century. From what I've read, they don't believe that the "Jesus" passages are in Josephus's style and they also don't flow with the rest of his narrative. Have you heard anything about this?

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Oh, and Thor, for future reference you can find all of Josephus as well as Philo at Peter Kirby's marvelous site:

http://www.earlyjewishwritings.com/


The earlier reference to Philo on Pilate comes from: " On the Embassy to Gaius" in the 3d column.

Thanks for the reference! I'll definitely check it out. Knowledge is a good thing!