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Also, where the reference to the Egyptian appears in Acts 21 seems chronologically correct. If this is roughly in 57, then the Egyptian could have been executed before then in the 50s. But Paul has been a Christian for some time, no? How do we reconcile Paul’s timeline and the Egyptian’s in a way th...

? I think that would depend upon whether those engaging in it knew it was false. Just because one didn't invent a false etymology does not, ergo, prevent one from being deemed a charlatan if they engaged in it. So, these two statements, yours and mine, are logically compatible. I don’t see the prob...

I shouldn’t be too hard on Nielsen. But, man, this book is not serious scholarship.

Finally, on the Egyptian, what do we do with the dating of Paul, if the Egyptian, who was active in the 50s, was Jesus? According to the standard dating, Paul is already preaching Jesus in the early 50s and writing letters then too. How could that be if Jesus was the Egyptian? Couldn’t it rather be ...

Also, (sorry, I am having fun) why are we taking the nativity sections of the gospels as serious historical data? Surely not, I would think. Jesus is born in the reign of Augustus, which is symbolically important for many reasons. Augustus was put forth by many as the savior of the world, but little...

The point about the high priests just seems to me to be more hashing of history in the Gospels. The point about two high priests in the two sources does not seem very compelling evidence that the Gospel events happened later. Also, Pilate does not have to be killing Galileans in Galilee. Where are t...

I am also not impressed with the bit about arson of the Samaritan village. The disciples ask if they should pray that God burn the Samaritan village, and Jesus says no. Now, I am willing to believe that the Gospel author knew of the later event of Galileans burning a Samaritan village and used the s...

Hey, Philo! Interesting video. One potential problem is your agreement with Tacitus on the topic of peace in Judea under Tiberius. That does not square well with Philo’s and Josephus’ accounts of Pilate does it? Also, what should we make of Jewish reactions to Caligula’s plans to place a statue of h...

Thanks for using Latin.

That is all.

Thanks for the review, Reverend. I think I'll give it a pass. The take home may be that whatever makes a person a "true believer" persists through a change of belief. I was struck by the way his desire to be known as a revealer of mysteries has remained constant throughout. I guess he joins the ran...