Josephus; a Pharisee? YES!

First the pro YHVH crowd have thrown some statements at us – us who hold to the argument that the use of YHVH, and all of its derivatives, is a load of Babylonian hogwash. Or, as Elizabeth Dilling puts it on page 48 of 'The Plot Against Christianity'…“The skeleton letters of Jehova: Y-H-W-H, called the Tetragrammaton, is the "ineffable word" in Talmudic Judaism, being used in weird combinations to evoke the demons. Its use is restricted to the inner circle of Rabbinical Potentates.”

The purveyors of this folly state … “Probably the greatest misconception about Hebrew is that it has no vowels. Josephus says otherwise; … Josephus lived long before the vowel pointing of Rabbinical Hebrew was employed.”

BOY OH BOY! If Josephus used this term and revealed that the ‘sacred name of G-d’ was actually emblazoned on their garb … then surely there must be merit to it … right??? Those who promote this really must think that we are stupid. To substantiate their argument that the Tetragrammaton (YHVH) has some merit in being used today in a Christian/Bible Believing society they quote Josephus – ‘Antiquities of the Jews’ ‘Wars 5:5:7 ”...A mitre also of fine linen encompassed his head ... about which there was another golden crown, in which was engraven the sacred name: it consists of four vowels.”

Who was Josephus anyway? What if Josephus was actually a member of a sect whose teachings actually undermine those of our God and absolutely loath Jesus? Well read on.

The Life Of Flavius Josephus

“(1) The family from which I am derived is not an ignoble one, but has descended all along from the priests; …

(2) … in order to know my opinion about the accurate understanding of points of the law; (10) and when I was about sixteen years old, I had a mind to make trim of the several sects that were among us. These sects are three:—The first is that of the Pharisees, the second that Sadducees, and the third that of the Essenes, as we have frequently told you; for I thought that by this means I might, choose the best, if I were once acquainted with them all; … So when I had accomplished my desires, I returned back to the city, being now nineteen years old, and began to conduct myself according to the rules of the sect of the Pharisees, which is of kin to the sect of the Stoics, as the Greeks call them.

(5) …yet did I go out of the temple again, after Manahem and the principal of the band of robbers were put to death, when I abode among the high priests and the chief of the Pharisees;

(12) … Now, as soon as I was come into Galilee, and had learned this state of things by the information of such as told me of them, I wrote to the sanhedrin at Jerusalem about them, and required their direction what I should do.”

So ole Josephus is actually a member of, and from a long lineage of, a sect that promotes the Tetragrammaton and, as we shall prove later, whom are a bunch of God haters and Jesus killers. Well that gives him a heap of street ‘cred’ when it comes to the practices of the enemies of true Israel. But it does not give him any credibility at all when it comes to Israelite priestly practice!

This next part is from the beginning of the book from where the ‘sacred name’ types like to quote … ‘Wars 5:5:7’ ”...A mitre also of fine linen encompassed his head ... about which there was another golden crown, in which was engraven the sacred name: it consists of four vowels.”

In ‘The Jewish War - Book I - PREFACE . section 1) “I, Joseph, the son of Matthias, by birth a Hebrew, a priest also, and one who at first fought against the Romans myself, and was forced to be present at what was done afterward, [am the author of this work.] “

REMEMBER:- Josephus was a Priest of the Pharisees – he was NOT a Priest of the WORD! He was NOT a Priest, disciple or apostle of Jesus! His rituals and practices were those of the Pharisees!

Sure Josephus was a Hebrew (unmixed ?), but there is no mention of him being an Israelite. Remember in the book of John chapter 8 the scribes and Pharisees were involved in a number of discussions with Jesus. For the most part the purpose of the discussions was to trap him into doing something for which they could have an excuse to kill him. In verse 33 they (the Pharisees) said … “They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man:”. Thus they were not Israelites at all as all of Israel had been in captivity to the Egyptians!

Furthermore; Jesus says to the Pharisees in verse 19 “… Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also.”

Josephus doesn’t know squat about the Father nor anything about Jesus. The reality was that as a member of the Pharisees living in and about Jerusalem, many years after the death of Jesus had caused the temple to be rent in two, he was NOT a follower of anything but Rabinical tradition! As Finkelstein said, Pharisaism became modern Judaism. They are one and the same.

Furthermore; the WORD of our Father has more to say of the sect known as the Pharisees. “I know that ye are Abraham’s seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you. I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father. They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham. But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham. Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God. Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”

Ok then; true Israel must now be able to see that Josephus’ dress claims have no merit to us as Israelites. He is talking of a practice used by the priests of the Pharisees! We have proof that they do NOT know the Father, our God – “I am who I am’, NOR our kinsman redeemer - Jesus. His writings are of an historical interest ONLY. The practices of the priestly types he talks of in ‘Wars 5:5:7’ have nothing to do with true Israel! The practices of true Israel, and their garb, are laid out in the bible and there is no mention of this addition to the dress of true Israel in Deuteronomy chapter 28, chapter 29 nor in Leviticus chapter 8. Thus the argument used by the ‘sacred name’ crowd is another Pharisee lie!

Marco Rusterholz

european@tasmail.com

Modified Tuesday, November 02, 2010