Flavius Josephus and Christ

[Petunia]

I'm a bit confused about Flavius Josephus. Everything I've read from most theologians.. seem to imply that he was not a Christian.. and the mention of Jesus implying Him to be the Messiah are Christian interpolations. But I've lately been interested in what he wrote on hades. And in his Discourse to the Greeks on hades.. he mentions Christ as the "Judge".. (See in paragraph 6 in this link -> http://www.biblenet.net/library/josephus/hades.html). For Josephus to list Christ as the Judge would be a Christian belief. Is this possibly a Christian interpolation also? Or am I misreading this. Perhaps Josephus isn't actually referring to Jesus "as" the Christ.. But the 'Messiah' whoever he'll be according to Josephus. Maybe that's it.

At any rate.. I was surprise to read what he thought of hades/hell. I thought Jews didn't believe in the existence of hell. But from what I've read in this discourse.. this is a very clear concept of the hell that Jesus spoke of. At least, in my view it is.

 

[davidoffinland]

From Finland.

Josephus was a Jewish historian, born 37/8 and died in the 2nd CT. On a visit to Rome about AD63, he was impressed with Rome´s power and was against the Jewish resistance. Then, you can now read Josephus in the context of Jewish history and religion. Although he mentions Jesus, the pharisees and the Essenes, he does this in line with Jewish history.

David.

 

[88Devin07]

Josephus as he stated, didn't know what to believe about Jesus. He was torn between whether Jesus was a man, or not a man.
But no, he didn't believe Jesus was the messiah, at most, he believed as modern Muslims and Jews believe, that he was a prophet. Which of course, is a very wrong interpretation of Jesus.