Josephus on Pandemics.

Discussion about the New Testament, apocrypha, gnostics, church fathers, Christian origins, historical Jesus or otherwise, etc.
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Trees of Life
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Josephus on Pandemics.

Post by Trees of Life »

Josephus with those of his generation, were apparently acquainted with the need to socially distance, in order to avoid an inundation of sickness from the pestilences that circulated among the population.

The Roman siege of Jerusalem at the time of the 70 CE Passover feast, caught up such a large population, (leaving room for the bloodshed) ‹so that at first the overcrowding meant death by pestilence and later hunger took a heavier toll›, Josephus The Jewish War, Book 6, translated by G. A. Williamson.

We see that from the parallel of the 70 CE pestilence in Jerusalem and the current pestilence/pandemic, that when the the populace associates in close quarters it means a destructive transmission of COVID -19, as seen with gatherings, work areas, boats, wards, retirement homes, venues, accommodation, etc.
Truth perdures.
Stuart
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Re: Josephus on Pandemics.

Post by Stuart »

This has nothing to do with early Christian texts. It belongs on some other Board
“’That was excellently observed’, say I, when I read a passage in an author, where his opinion agrees with mine. When we differ, there I pronounce him to be mistaken.” - Jonathan Swift
Trees of Life
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Re: Josephus on Pandemics.

Post by Trees of Life »

Stuart wrote: Mon Aug 17, 2020 2:01 pm This has nothing to do with early Christian texts. It belongs on some other Board
Josephus wrote early Christian texts.

He wrote history too, somewhat relevant to the Christians of his generation.

You could dispute that but you are outmatched by manuscriptal evidence.

Instead you would have my comments on the knowledge of Josephus with his generation, barred and shut down on this specific forum. Am I that big a threat?
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Stuart
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Re: Josephus on Pandemics.

Post by Stuart »

Josephus was very likely a source for Christian texts. No dispute on that point; many names, even some events, were drawn from it as a source (indicative IMO that the NT writers were, on a personal level, largely unfamiliar with the Palestinian region, so relied on Josephus and likely a couple other lost books about the region for their details). But he did not write even one line. To say that he did is to imply, if not advocate the flight of fancy conspiracy theory of Flavian origins. These conspiracy theories are easy to shoot down -- difficult to convince the advocates, as they have gone down the proverbial rabbit hole.

COVID-19 has nothing to do with Josephus or early Christian writing.
“’That was excellently observed’, say I, when I read a passage in an author, where his opinion agrees with mine. When we differ, there I pronounce him to be mistaken.” - Jonathan Swift
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DCHindley
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Re: Josephus on Pandemics.

Post by DCHindley »

Trees of Life wrote: Mon Aug 17, 2020 7:45 am Josephus with those of his generation, were apparently acquainted with the need to socially distance, in order to avoid an inundation of sickness from the pestilences that circulated among the population.

The Roman siege of Jerusalem at the time of the 70 CE Passover feast, caught up such a large population, (leaving room for the bloodshed) ‹so that at first the overcrowding meant death by pestilence and later hunger took a heavier toll›, Josephus The Jewish War, Book 6, translated by G. A. Williamson.

We see that from the parallel of the 70 CE pestilence in Jerusalem and the current pestilence/pandemic, that when the the populace associates in close quarters it means a destructive transmission of COVID -19, as seen with gatherings, work areas, boats, wards, retirement homes, venues, accommodation, etc.
Not sure that Josephus attributed the woes of the residents of Jerusalem during the Roman siege to pestilence (disease) as much as famine caused by factions intentionally burning supplies of grain rather than let their opponents benefit from them.

That being said, anytime there are crowded and unsanitary conditions, diseases like cholera become an issue. It's not like the residents could leave town to take a dump like they could before.
Trees of Life
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Re: Josephus on Pandemics.

Post by Trees of Life »

Trees of Life wrote: Mon Aug 17, 2020 7:45 am Josephus with those of his generation, were apparently acquainted with the need to socially distance, in order to avoid an inundation of sickness from the pestilences that circulated among the population.

The Roman siege of Jerusalem at the time of the 70 CE Passover feast, caught up such a large population, (leaving room for the bloodshed) ‹so that at first the overcrowding meant death by pestilence and later hunger took a heavier toll›, Josephus The Jewish War, Book 6, translated by G. A. Williamson.

We see that from the parallel of the 70 CE pestilence in Jerusalem and the current pestilence/pandemic, that when the the populace associates in close quarters it means a destructive transmission of COVID -19, as seen with gatherings, work areas, boats, wards, retirement homes, venues, accommodation, etc.
In fact with societal knowledge that whole households had been infected with pestilence¹, Josephus would have educed that infection was rampant for those at close quarters, yet to the extent of him being an historian, he was hardly unfamiliar with the literature of Thucydides on plagues.²

¹The Apocryphal and Legendary Life of Christ, (Jesus to his father Joseph) ' "famine and pestilence shall not be in that house, because thy name is in it." '

²The Peloponnesian War, Thucydides: II, The Plague: ‹mortality among the doctors was highest of all, since they came more frequently into contact with the sick›, ‹of the usual kinds of illness; if any such cases did occur, they ended in the plague›, ‹dying like sheep, through having caught the disease as a result of nursing others›, ‹there were many houses in which all the inhabitants perished›, ‹in badly ventilated huts, they died like flies›; II,The Policy of Pericles: ‹Hagnon returned with his ships to Athens, having lost by the plague in the space of about forty days 1,050 hoplites out of his original force of 4,000›.
Last edited by Trees of Life on Tue Sep 08, 2020 6:42 am, edited 1 time in total.
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davidmartin
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Re: Josephus on Pandemics.

Post by davidmartin »

Covid is not a big deal. it's about time to get used to another easily transmissible flue virus and get on with living
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