[B-Greek] Eusebius Revisited
Peter Kirby
kirby at earthlink.net
Thu Sep 18 00:23:37 EDT 2003
A while back I posed a question about Historia Ecclesiastica, Book 1, Chapter
11, Section 7. The TLG CD-ROM offers this Greek text:
TAU=TA PERI\ TOU= *)IWA/NNOU DIELQW\N, KAI\ TOU= SWTH=ROS H(MW=N KATA\ TH\N
AU)TH\N TOU= SUGGRA/MMATOS I(STORI/AN W(=DE/ PWS ME/MNHTAI:
There was a brief discussion about whether Eusebius implies that the Jesus
passage came after the John passage, as "an aorist participle usually refers
to action antecedent to that of the main verb." See these posts:
http://lists.ibiblio.org/pipermail/b-greek/2003-June/025557.html
http://lists.ibiblio.org/pipermail/b-greek/2003-June/025585.html
http://lists.ibiblio.org/pipermail/b-greek/2003-June/025586.html
http://lists.ibiblio.org/pipermail/b-greek/2003-June/025587.html
I would like to submit this translation of the passage:
http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/NPNF2-01/Npnf2-01-06.htm
"He relates these things in the eighteenth book of the Antiquities, where he
writes of John in the following words: It seemed to some of the Jews that the
army of Herod was destroyed by God, who most justly avenged John called the
Baptist. For Herod slew him, a good man and one who exhorted the Jews to come
and receive baptism, practicing virtue and exercising righteousness toward
each other and toward God; for baptism would appear acceptable unto Him when
they employed it, not for the remission of certain sins, but for the
purification of the body, as the soul had been already purified in
righteousness. And when others gathered about him (for they found much
pleasure in listening to his words), Herod feared that his great influence
might lead to some sedition, for they appeared ready to do whatever he might
advise. He therefore considered it much better, before any new thing should
be done under John's influence, to anticipate it by slaying him, than to
repent after revolution had come, and when he found himself in the midst of
difficulties. On account of Herod's suspicion John was sent in bonds to the
above-mentioned citadel of Mach'ra, and there slain. Completing these things
concerning John. And he makes mention of our Saviour in the same work, in
approximately the following words: And there lived at that time Jesus, a wise
man, if indeed it be proper to call him a man. For he was a doer of wonderful
works, and a teacher of such men as receive the truth in gladness. And he
attached to himself many of the Jews, and many also of the Greeks. He was the
Christ. When Pilate, on the accusation of our principal men, condemned him to
the cross, those who had loved him in the beginning did not cease loving him.
For he appeared unto them again alive on the third day, the divine prophets
having told these and countless other wonderful things concerning him.
Moreover, the race of Christians, named after him, continues down to the
present day. Since an historian, who is one of the Hebrews themselves, has
recorded in his work these things concerning John the Baptist and our
Saviour, what excuse is there left for not convicting them of being destitute
of all shame, who have forged the acts against them? But let this suffice
here."
Thus, I have made the phrase "completing these things concerning John"
separate from the following sentence introducing the Testimonium. It may be
a verbal endquote marker for a writer without quotation marks.
There are two reasons for the proposal, based on factual and linguistic
evidence.
(1) The factual evidence is the placement of the passage by Eusebius in
Demonstratio Evangelica and Theophania.
http://tertullian.org/fathers/eusebius_de_05_book3.htm
And here it will not be inappropriate for me to make use of the evidence of
the Hebrew Josephus as well, who in the eighteenth chapter of The Archaeology
of the Jews, in his record of the times of Pilate, mentions our Saviour in
these words: "And Jesus arises at that time..."
This could not be a description of the Ant. 18.5.2 location, where the John
cite is placed, but rather places the Testimonium in the vicinity of 18.3.3,
in the description of the times of Pilate, where it is found the extant
manuscripts.
This placement is reiterated in the Theophania, Book V.
http://tertullian.org/fathers/eusebius_theophania_06book5.htm
The testimony therefore, of these men respecting our Saviour, is sufficient.
There is nevertheless, nothing to prohibit our availing ourselves, even the
more abundantly, of the Hebrew witness Josephus; who, in the Eighteenth Book
of his Antiquities of the Jews, writing the things that belonged to the times
of Pilate, commemorates our Saviour in these words: -- "At this period then
was Jesus..."
As it is hard to accept that Eusebius had two manuscripts of Josephus, with
two different locations of the passage, and even harder to think of Eusebius
as an interpolator being confused as to the location of the interpolation, it
is appropriate to look for a compatible reading of the Hist. Eccl. if the
language permits it.
(2) Linguistic evidence points to TAUTA being a word used by Eusebius and
other Greek writers at the end of a quotation.
Very similar wording (TAU=TA PERI\ ... DIELQW\N) is found in this passage in
the Commentary on Psalms by Eusebius, which I hope someone can interpret for
us:
Volume 23, page 953, line 1
DHLONO/TI TH=S A)MPE/LOU, H(\N E)C *AI)GU/PTOU METH/GAGE, KAI\
TRUGW=SIN AU)TH\N PA/NTES OI( PARAPOREUO/MENOI TH\N
O(DO/N. *)ELUMH/NATO AU)TH\N U(=S E)K DRUMOU=, KAI\ MO-
NIO\S A)/GRIOS KATENEMH/SATO AU)TH/N.
*)EMPEPURISME/NH
E)N PURI\ KAI\ KATESKAMME/NH. *TAU=TA PERI\ TH=S A)MPE/-
LOU DIELQW\N, TH\N TOU= *)IOUDAI/WN E)/QNOUS E)QE/SPIZEN E)RH-
MI/AN. *EI)KO/TWS OU)=N E)N TH=| PROGRAFH=| KAI\ MARTU/RION
KE/KLHTAI TA\ LEGO/MENA: MARTU/RION GA\R TAU=TA E)/SESQAI,
KAI\ DIEMARTU/RATO. *(/OQEN PARA\ TW=| *SUMMA/XW| KAI\ PARA\
TW=| *)AKU/LA| MARTURI/A EI)/RHTAI.
I must admit that I cannot find many other occurences of DIELQWN with TAUTA.
Perhaps, then, it is a marker with a slightly different meaning than what I
gave above? Rather, "After (we have gone through) relating these things
about John, he also makes mention of our Saviour in the same work, in
approximately the following words."
In any case, I find it difficult to believe that Eusebius put the Ant. 18.3.3
passage after the Ant. 18.5.2 passage and would like to be certain of such a
reading of Eusebius if it is correct. I look forward to responses.
--
Peter Kirby (Student at Fullerton College, CA)
3:16pm up 4:27, Mandrake Linux 9.0, kernel 2.4.19-16mdk on AMD Athlon 750
Web Site: http://www.outofprintbooksearch.com/
Web Site: http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/
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