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Josephus Contradicts Himself


  1. Antiquities 1.3.4 says, "Now Mathusela, the son of Enoch, who was born to him when he was one hundred and sixty-five years old, had Lamech for his son when he was one hundred and eighty-seven years of age; to whom he delivered the government, when he had retained it nine hundred and sixty-nine years. Now Lamech, when he had governed seven hundred and seventy-seven years, appointed Noah, his son, to be ruler of the people, who was born to Lamech when he was one hundred and eighty-two years old, and retained the government nine hundred and fifty years." In this passage, Methuselah gives Lamech the government after Methuselah dies. Lamech died before Methuselah. Josephus has Mathusela, Lamech and Noah all retaining the government for their whole lives, which would require them to govern as soon as they were born, and partially at the same time. Furthermore, Lamech is said to appoint a Noah a ruler when he was a 777 years old and when Noah was 595 years old. Noah could not then govern for 950 years.

  2. Antiquities 8.7.8 says Solomon was superior to all other kings in riches. David was Solomon's father. War of the Jews 1.2.5 says David was the richest of all kings.

  3. Antiquities 10.11.1 says, "but about that time it happened that his father Nebuchodonosor [Nabopollassar] fell ill, and ended his life in the city Babylon, when he had reigned twenty-one years;" Against Apion 1.19 says, "Now it so fell out that his father Nabolassar fell into a distemper at this time, and died in the city of Babylon, after he had reigned twenty-nine years."

  4. Antiquities 12.9.3 has Antiochus collecting an army with about a hundred thousand footmen, and twenty thousand horsemen, and thirty-two elephants. War of the Jews 1.1.5 says Antiochus got together fifty thousand footmen, and five thousand horsemen, and fourscore elephants.

  5. Antiquities 13.14.1 says Alexander had 6,200 mercenaries and about 20,000 Jews when he went against Demetrius, who had 3,000 horsemen, and 40,000 footmen. War of the Jews 1.4.5 says Alexander had 1,000 horsemen, 8,000 mercenaries on foot and 10,000 Jews which favored him while the Demetrius had 3,000 horsemen, and 14,000 footmen.

  6. Antiquities 15.5.2 says the great earthquake killed 10,000 men. War of the Jews 1.19.3 says 30,000 were destroyed.

  7. Antiquities 17.11.4 says, "Now the tribute-money that came to Archelaus every year from his own dominions amounted to six hundred talents." War of the Jews 2.6.3 says the amount given to Archelaus was "four hundred talents".

  8. Antiquities 17.11.5 says, "Moreover, Caesar made a present to each of Herod's two virgin daughters, besides what their father left them, of two hundred and fifty thousand [drachmae] of silver, and married them to Pheroras's sons: he also granted all that was bequeathed to himself to the king's sons, which was one thousand five hundred talents, excepting a few of the vessels, which he reserved for himself; and they were acceptable to him, not so much for the great value they were of, as because they were memorials of the king to him." War of the Jews 2.6.3 says, "And for the rest of Herod's offspring, they received what was bequeathed to them in his testaments; but, besides that, Caesar granted to Herod's two virgin daughters five hundred thousand [drachmae] of silver, and gave them in marriage to the sons of Pheroras: but after this family distribution, he gave between them what had been bequeathed to him by Herod, which was a thousand talents, reserving to himself only some inconsiderable presents, in honor of the deceased." In Antiquities the amount is 1,500 talents. In War of the Jews the amount given is 1,000 talents.

  9. Antiquities 17.13.3 indicates Archelaus had a dream where he saw ten ears of corn indicating that he would reign ten years but in War of the Jews 2.7.3 Archelaus dreamed nine ears of corn and in the ninth year he was banished.

  10. Antiquities 18.3.2 says Pilate brought water to Jerusalem from a distance of 200 furlongs. War of the Jews 2.9.4 says he brought it from 400 furlongs.

  11. Antiquities 13.3.1 indicates that Onias, who built a temple in Egypt, had the same name as his father whereas in War of the Jews 7.10.2 Onias is supposedly the son of Simon.

  12. Antiquities 1.6.5 says Abraham was born 292 years after the Great Flood. In this section the link from the flood and then the links from the birth on one patriarch to the birth of the next patriarch add up to 803 years if "one hundred the thirty" is equal to 130 years. That is, 12 + 135 + 130 + 134 + 130 + 130 + 132 = 803.

  13. Antiquities 7.15.3 has Hyrcanus taking 3,000 talents from King David's tomb and giving only part of that sum to Antiochus. In War of the Jews 1.2.5 Hyrcanus gave all 3,000 talents to Antiochus.

  14. Antiquities 8.3.1 says, "SOLOMON began to build the temple … five hundred and ninety-two years after the Exodus out of Egypt…" Against Apion 2.2 says, "Solomon himself built that temple six hundred and twelve years after the Jews came out of Egypt." The two durations vary by twenty years.

  15. Antiquities 9.7 says in the introduction that Queen "Athaliah reigned over Jerusalem for five years". In 9.7.1 Josephus says that Jehosheba "and her husband Jehoiada brought him up privately in the temple six years, during which time Athaliah reigned over Jerusalem and the two tribes." In one case the time is five years and in another case it is six years.

  16. Antiquities 9.13.1 says, "Now, in the fourth year of the reign of Hoshea, Hezekiah, the son of Ahaz, began to reign in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Abijah, a citizen of Jerusalem." Antiquities 9.14.1 says that Shalmaneser took Samaria it "by force in the ninth year of the reign of Hoshea, and in the seventh year of Hezekiah". In one instance, Josephus puts the start of the reign of the two kings four years apart. In the second mention, Josephus puts them only two years apart.



Josephus may contain some truths but there is no way of knowing which is truth and which is lie.





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