Jim Davila shared a link to an article by Geza Vermes about the Testimonium Flavianum, the more famous and more detailed of Josephus’ two references to Jesus. While some still think that the whole thing may be a later insertion by Christians, the consensus seems to be moving in the direction of there having been an original reference to Jesus which was later tampered with by Christians.
Whatever one thinks of the reference, I’ve been intrigued for some time by a related topic, namely the figures that appeared in the years and decades after Jesus, such as Theudas. If we assume (as the evidence seems to warrant) that there were Christians making claims and telling stories about Jesus in this period in Palestine as well as elsewhere, then it is natural to ask whether such figures were consciously imitating Jesus, or if not, then why such comparable figures appear in such close proximity in time and space.
Lately I’ve been wondering and speculating about a possible explanation. Josephus doesn’t mention John the Baptist’s connection with Jesus, although he does mention John having had followers who seemed willing to do anything for him. I wonder whether, if John indeed spoke about one who is to come after him, one who is one of his disciples but will surpass him, might not these other first-century messianic figures also have been part of John’s movement. Persuaded that John was right, and also convinced that Jesus was not the one whom John had predicted, they might have hoped that they instead might be the ones through whom God would bring his kingdom in.
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