The No-Burial Theory

Achilles achillesz@usa.net
Mon, 8 Feb 1999 16:59:18 -0500 (00918532758, 21574956463535@unifour.com) 

On 8 Feb 99, at 9:48, Ed Tyler wrote:


> At 10:40 AM 2/8/99 -0500, D.R. Edwards wrote:

> >Joe Alward:

> ><snip> What I'm looking for, however, is

> >evidence which is strong enough to justify Tyler's claim that Jesus' burial

> >would have been the only one afforded by the Romans to victims of

> >crucifixion.

> >

> >EDWARDS

> >Beg pardon for possibly jumping in without all the facts, but did Ed really

> >say this?  After all, unless I'm quite mistaken, Philo of Alexandria

> >indicated that crucifixion victims were occasionally given over for burial,

> >and Ed would be very familiar with this passage.

> >

> Ed

> 

> That's not exactly what I said, but I certainly don't consider the gospels'

> burial stories credible in the least, which is what's led to this mess.

> 

> Actually, I'm not familiar with the passage from Philo!  Frankly, I'd still

> be skeptical because any body given over for burial after crucifixion would

> show signs of it.  If it even happened "occasionally" you'd expect at least

> a small archeological record.


Achilles
I believe the reference he was thinking of was in Flaccus, as follows (it's in 
83, but I preserve a bit before and after so as not to totally lose the 
context, that being the time of the Emperors birthday festival);

X.(81) I omit to mention, that even if they had committed the most countless 
iniquities, nevertheless the governor ought, out of respect for the season, to 
have delayed their punishment; for with all rulers, who govern any state on 
constitutional principles, and who do not seek to acquire a character for 
audacity, but who do really honour their benefactors, it is the custom to 
punish no one, even of those who have been lawfully condemned, until the famous 
festival and assembly, in honour of the birth-day of the illustrious emperor, 
has passed. 
 (82) But he committed this violation of the laws at the very season of this 
festival, and punished men who had done no wrong; though certainly, if he ever 
determined to punish them, he ought to have done so at a subsequent time; but 
he hastened, and would admit of no delay, by reason of his eagerness to please 
the multitude who was opposed to them, thinking that in this way he should be 
able, more easily, to gain them over to the objects which he had in view. 
(83) I have known instances before now of men who had been crucified when this 
festival and holiday was at hand, being taken down and given up to their 
relations, in order to receive the honours of sepulture, and to enjoy such 
observances as are due to the dead; for it used to be considered, that even the 
dead ought to derive some enjoyment from the natal festival of a good emperor, 
and also that the sacred character of the festival ought to be regarded. 
(84) But this man did not order men who had already perished on crosses to be 
taken down, but he commanded living men to be crucified, men to whom the very 
time itself gave, if not entire forgiveness, still, at all events, a brief and 
temporary respite from punishment; and he did this after they had been beaten 
by scourgings in the middle of the theatre; and after he had tortured them with 
fire and sword; 
(85) and the spectacle of their sufferings was divided; for the first part of 
the exhibition lasted from the morning to the third or fourth hour, in which 
the Jews were scourged, were hung up, were tortured on the wheel, were 
condemned, and were dragged to execution through the middle of the orchestra; 
and after this beautiful exhibition came the dancers, and the buffoons, and the 
flute-players, and all the other diversions of the theatrical contests.

Regards,


/Achilles     achillesz@usa.net

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Random thought for the moment:

    Including quantum physics in the beginning of time introduces all
    of the quantum weirdness that presently inhabits the scientific
    world today. Particularly, since no observer was assumed present
    at the beginning of time to choose the observable properties of
    matter, one must include the possibility that all possible parallel
    universes also appeared when our own universe appeared.
        -- Frederick Alan Wolf
    Parallel Universes: The Search for Other Worlds, p. 297, pub. 1988