Biblical Criticism & History Forum - earlywritings.com

I thought I would make a thread about indisputable historical facts about early Christianity. I don't think there are a lot of things which are certain about the tradition. My best stab at it:

1. the narrative outlining the ministry of Jesus was called the gospel.
2. the earliest known New Testament books contained material from the texts now known as the Letters of Paul.
3. by the end of the second century a gospel in four was introduced.
4. anything else found in Celsus.

I assume that Celsus is the first historical marker we have in early Christianity. Everything else is speculative.

Not so sure about 1.

Jax wrote: ↑Wed Apr 21, 2021 2:45 pm Not so sure about 1.

Controversy already.

#2 is hardly noncontroversial on this forum or in certain critical circles.

Ben C. Smith wrote: ↑Wed Apr 21, 2021 2:46 pm

Jax wrote: ↑Wed Apr 21, 2021 2:45 pm Not so sure about 1.

Controversy already.

Didn't even make it past the first post.

We're doomed.

Ok, my stab at it.

1: the name of the Christ is only known as an abbreviation in the early Christian texts.

2: There are no Jewish of Aramaric Christian writings in early Christianity.

3: The original language of the early Christian texts is koine Greek.

4: Petros is not a proper name.

Jax wrote: ↑Wed Apr 21, 2021 3:17 pm Ok, my stab at it.

1: the name of the Christ is only known as an abbreviation in the early Christian texts.

2: There are no Jewish of Aramaric Christian writings in early Christianity.

3: The original language of the early Christian texts is koine Greek.

4: Petros is not a proper name.

#2 and #3 are highly controversial.

Although I am a horrible person I would really appreciate everyone giving it a go and maybe we come up with three levels of certainty and divide all the material accordingly. Taking care of my bichon puppy has hopefully made me less horrible and disagreeable.

Already I don't like my answer to my own question.

1. According to Josephus, there were Jews during the first century CE who rejected the oral Torah, agreed with "Pharisaic notions" (like resurrection of the dead), believed that "one from their country should become governor of the habitable earth," and were renowned for enduring suffering and death.

2. Josephus calls this a "fourth philosophy" of Judaism.

3. Christian writings present Jesus as living in the same time and place (Galilee) and having the same characteristics as Fourth Philosophers.

4. Josephus mentions Jesus and his brother James in Ant. 20 and places them in the first century CE.

5. So either Jesus and his followers existed and were Fourth Philosophers or someone invented them and gave them the same characteristics as Fourth Philosophers (and interpolated them into Josephus).

6. in either case the root of Christianity is the Fourth Philosophy.