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Re: PRIVATE Re: Preserving the Names of the Ange
On Sun, 27 Oct 1996 23:20:16 -0200 (GMT), ioniccentre@hol.gr writes:
>
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>
>>In Josephus' description of the sects in *The J. War* he states that Essenes
>>swore powerful oaths to do/not do various things, including preserving the
>>sectarian writings "and in the same way the names of the angels" [Williamson's
>>Penguin translation 1959, p.373].
I have the Wiiliamson translation but in the Dorset hard cover edition.
Would you cite Chapter and section number?
>>What exactly is Josephus' meaning here? Why
>>would preserving the names of the angels have had such great significance that
>>it became the subject of one of the sect's great oaths? Assuming that one can
>>believe J. on these matters...
His believability is affected only by what he might be trying to put over
on his Roman patrons. I suggest the rule Arrian gave for the "honesty" of
kings might be the measure here too. Josephus would be aware that his
patrons knew a fair amount of the ways of the Levant from personal ex-
perience. If he hadn't been trained, as he alleges, by Essenes, there were
ambitious Jews or Romans looking to trip him up and expose Josephus's own
ambitious and prevaricating nature. Somehow, his words do not sound false.
His stated aims for writing were made to his patrons, the circle of the
most powerful men in that world, the Flavians.
[... snip, snip ... already related material omitted ...]
>>
>>RDS
>>
Tom Simms