According to the canonical version of the Passion of Christ, who was arrested, Jesus was given the Jewish "superior" to the Romans, which carried out the crucifixion.However, there is an Old Russian translation of the book of Josephus' The Jewish War "with a version of the death of Christ.There is no longer the Romans and the Jewish themselves "chiefs" directly guilty of the massacre of Jesus.Despite the fact that this transfer is contrary to the Gospels, some scholars believe the story told in it credible.
However, everything in order.First of all, it should be noted that the ancient version of "Jewish War" is not even translated, but rather free paraphrase the book of Josephus, which passed many famous episodes, but there are a lot of inserts and additions, clearly not from the pen of the famous historian.One of these inserts is a lengthy story about the life and death of Jesus Christ, is strikingly different from the evangelical version.
So, how Jesus died?According to an embodiment of the ancient Russian, Jewish "lawyers", fearing the enormous popularity of Jesus, told him before Pilate and accused of sedition.Pilate interrogated Jesus, did not find him no guilt, and set free (besides Jesus healed yet and seriously ill wife procurator than summoned to even greater sympathy).Then, we read further,
Translated into modern Russian language, this means that "lawyers who
overcome envy, gave 30 talents Pilate that he ordered to kill him. He took them and gave them permission to do, that's what they want. SoThey grabbed him and crucified, contrary to the law of the fathers. "
This passage is striking clear desire to shift the responsibility for the execution
Jesus on the Jewish authorities and meet Pontius Pilate, who in ancient version of the "Jewish war" is absolutely not involved in the crime.Jesus died because of the Jewish elders, doing so despite the law of our fathers.This is the basic idea of Old Russian version.
Some researchers believe that this - the original text of Josephus,
translated into Old Russian language.German scientists A. Berends and R. Eisler,
worked before World War II, we have suggested that ancient Slavic
translation of "Jewish War" was made with the lost of the Aramaic script.According to them, there were two versions of "Jewish War", one created by Josephus for the compatriots - in Aramaic, and the other addressed to the Greco-Roman readers - Greek.
This hypothesis met with strong objections from many scientists.Soviet researcher
NA Meshchersky more in 1958 denied Berends and Eisler, proving that ancient Russian translation of the "Jewish War" goes back to the known Greek text writings of Josephus, and not to the mythical "Aramaic prototype."This is proved by a large number of Greek words and gretsizmov left without translation.In addition, the Old Russian text retains the same order of the words, the same syntax as the Greek script. "directly associated with the Greek text of the Old Russian language numerous tracings," literally peresnimki "preserving the morphological structure of the Greek word", - claims NA Meshchersky.
conspicuous in addition to the known text of Flavius and numerous
borrowing from the New Testament as the individual expressions and whole scenes.Even on the Magi and the star of Bethlehem know, it turns out, Josephus!All this also inspires a very strong suspicion about the veracity
of ancient version of "Jewish War".
final conclusion NA Meshchersky clear: the details of the execution of Jesus,
given in the Slavic version of the "Jewish War" are not genuine
text of Josephus, and the pious fiction interpreter who, in all likelihood, it seemed odd that the famous historiandescribing Palestine to the procurator Pontius Pilate, no one said a word about Christ.The extent of their powers and abilities that he "injustice" and tried to eliminate.
According to NA Meshchersky, the ancient Russian translation for "Jewish War" Joseph
Flavia could be done in the era of Kievan Rus XI century at the latest.With this conclusion,
however, did not agree to an Italian A. Donini.He also thought the episode of Jesus
interpolation, but made much earlier, perhaps I - II centuries.According to him, "no Christian scribe could not invent them, when the image of Christ has steadily developed at the theological basis. This episode may have met in some kind of ancient book list Flavia Aramaic or Greek, and then could be stored in the Balkansas if in a reserved corner of the Christian East. "
Well, on account of the fact that no scribe would not have to invent the details,
contradict prevailing church tradition, too boldly said.Today
any time not only nonsense written about Jesus, and - imagine!- No
established "theological framework" did not become a hindrance!Therefore, all the interpolation in the original text of Josephus might well not be made in the I - II centuries as thought A. Donini, but much later.
So, the episode with a bribe of 30 talents, this supposedly "legalists" Pilate with the aim
kill Jesus is not authentic historical fact, but only a figment of ancient unnamed editor.And fiction, it should be noted, is very unfortunate.Indeed, if we accept this version, it turns out that Jesus was executed on the cross, not the Romans, and the Jews themselves.It is so incongruous with the evangelical version of the Passion, and indeed with all the then historical realities that are not worthy of further discussion.
