Who's Who in the Age of Jesus by Geza Vermes

Author:Geza Vermes
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780141937557
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Published: 2005-01-09T05:00:00+00:00

JESUS SON OF ANANIAS

Jesus son of Ananias was a rural holy man who got himself into trouble with the authorities during the Feast of Tabernacles in 62 CE. ∗Josephus records that this Jesus, walking up and down the streets of the city day after day, proclaimed woe to Jerusalem and the sanctuary with a loud voice: ‘A voice from the east, a voice from the west, a voice from the four winds; a voice against Jerusalem and the sanctuary, a voice against the bridegroom and the bride, a voice against the people!’ These ill-omened prophetic words, reminiscent of Jeremiah, chapter 7, created disturbances. So the Jewish magistrates arrested Jesus and gave him a severe beating to bring him to his senses. It made no difference; Jesus persisted with his cries. Fearing that he might be inspired by God - Josephus believed that he was - instead of taking more drastic steps to silence him themselves, the magistrates passed the case to the Roman governor ∗Albinus. Albinus ordered another scourging, worse than the previous one, before examining the accused. But when Jesus son of Ananias refused to answer his questions, he concluded that the man was a lunatic and released him. Jesus continued with his daily laments until the outbreak of the first war against Rome in 66 CE. For seven years and five months he persisted with his wailing. He stopped only when a stone catapulted by a Roman war machine killed him in 69 CE.

The story of Jesus son of Ananias recalls that of ∗Jesus of Nazareth. The Gospels contain no hint that ∗Caiaphas and his colleagues imagined that Jesus was divinely inspired, but it is conceivable that a mixture of superstitious fear and an innate unwillingness actually to order the execution of a Jew played a subconscious part in their decision to deliver Jesus to Pontius ∗Pilate.

Source: Josephus, War 6:300 – 309.

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