The Christ Myth

III JESUS AS CULT-GOD IN THE CREED OF JEWISH SECTS

C. Delisle Burns translation

Now, many signs speak in favour of the fact that Joshua or Jesus was the name under which the expected Messiah was honoured in certain Jewish sects. In Zech. iii. Joshua, who, according to Ezra iii. 2, led back the Jews into their old homes after the Babylonian captivity, just as the older Joshua brought back the Israelites into Canaan, the promised land of their fathers, was invested as High Priest by the “Angel of the Lord,” and promised the continuance of his priesthood so long as he walked in the ways of the Lord. In Zech. vi. 9–15 the High Priest Joshua is crowned as Messiah and brought into connection with the “branch” under which the glory of God’s kingdom will come to pass. It is true that in this passage under the title of Messiah Zerubbabel, the leader of the Jews of the race of David, was originally understood. In him the prophet thought he could discern that “branch” by which, in accordance with Isaiah xi. 1, the House of David was again to obtain the rule. Since, however, the great hopes set upon Zerubbabel as Messiah were not fulfilled, a correction was made (and this before the Bible was translated into Greek) in the text of the prophet, as follows: The name of Zerubbabel was struck out, the plural changed into the singular, so that Joshua alone was represented as having been crowned, the promises regarding the Messiah accordingly also passing over to him (Stade, “Gesch. des Volkes Israel,” 1888, ii. 126, note. Hühn, “Die messianischen Weissagungen des israel. Volkes,” 1889, 62 et sq.).

Notes in this chapter

Note 1 · The assertion advanced by Grätz and Lucius that the work mentioned is a forgery of a fourth-century Christian foisted upon Philo with the ob Note 2 · Cf. as regards the Essenes, Schürer, “Geschichte des jüdischen Volkes im Zeitalter Jesu Christi,” 1898, II. 573–584. ↑Note 3 · Regarding the connection between the Essenes and the Apocalypse, cf. Hilgenfeld, “Die jüdische Apokalyptik,” 1857, p. 253 sqq. ↑Note 4 · On this point, cf. Brandt, “Die mandäische Religion,” 1899; “Realenzyklop, f.d. protest. Theologie u. Kirche,” xii. 160 sqq.; Gunkel, op. ci Note 5 · Cf. Hilgenfeld, “Ketzergeschichte des Urchristentums,” 1884. ↑Note 6 · Gunkel, op. cit., 29. ↑Note 7 · Gen. xxxii. 24. ↑Note 8 · Numb. xx. 16; Exod. xiii. 21. ↑Note 9 · Exod. xxxiii. 14; 2 Sam. v. 23. ↑Note 10 · 1 Kings i. 3; Ezek. xliii. 5. ↑Note 11 · Isa. lxiii. 9 sqq. ↑Note 12 · Psa. ii. ↑Note 13 · Cf. Ghillany, “Die Menschenopfer der alten Hebräer,” 1842, 326–334; Eisenmenger, “Entdecktes Judentum,” 1711, i. 311, 395 sqq. Also Movers, Note 14 · Exod. xxiii. 20 sqq. ↑Note 15 · Jos. xxiv. 11. ↑Note 16 · Jos. v. 2–10. The unhistorical nature of Joshua is admitted also by Stade. Stade counts him an Ephraimitic myth, recalling to mind in so doi Note 17 · That the hypothesis of Smith here mentioned is quite admissible from the linguistic point of view has lately been maintained by Schmiedel in Note 18 · Epiph., “Hæresiol.” xxix. ↑Note 19 · Smith, op. cit., 37 sq., 54. ↑Note 20 · Isa. ii. 1. Cf. Epiphanius, op. cit. ↑Note 21 · Id. xxix. 6. ↑Note 22 · “Enc. Bibl.,” art. “Nazareth.” ↑Note 23 · “Since ha-nosrîm was a very usual term for guardians or protectors, it follows that when the term or its Greek equivalent hoi Nazoraioi was Note 24 · Cf. in this connection Smith, op. cit., 36 sq., 42 sqq. ↑Note 25 · Cf. Cumont, op. cit., 195 sq. ↑Note 26 · Matt. ii. 25. ↑Note 27 · Zech. iii. 10. ↑Note 28 · Jeremias, op. cit., 56; cf. also 33 and 46, notes. ↑Note 29 · Robertson, “A Short History of Christianity,” 1902, 9 sqq. ↑Note 30 · Gunkel, op. cit., 34. ↑Note 31 · Id., op. cit., 39–63; cf. also Robertson, “Pagan Christs,” 1903, 155 seq. ↑Note 32 · Cf. Robertson, op. cit., 156. ↑Note 33 · Mark v. 27; Luke xxiv. 19; Acts xviii. 25, xxviii. 31. ↑Note 34 · Luke ix. 49, x. 17; Acts iii. 16; James v. 14 sq. For more details regarding Name magic, see W. Heitmüller, “Im Namen Jesu,” 1903. ↑Note 35 · Cf. on whole subject Robertson, op. cit., 153–160. ↑Note 36 · Jesus was a name given, as will be still more clearly shown, not only to the High Priest of Zechariah and to the successor of Moses, both of Note 37 · Whether there was a place called Nazareth in pre-Christian days must be considered as at least very doubtful. Such a place is not mentioned Note 38 · It is only in the later phases of the tradition that the name appears in the New Testament as a place-name. In the earlier ones the Nazorean Note 39 · Now the expression nazar or netzer in the sense of twig (sprout) is found not only in the well-known passage Isaiah xi. 1, where the Messiah Note 40 · According to this, Jesus (Joshua) was originally a divinity, a mediator, and God of healing of those pre-Christian Jewish sectaries, with re Note 41 · In the most different religions the belief in a divine Saviour and Redeemer is found bound up with the conception of a suffering and dying G Note 42 · Every year the forces of nature die away to reawaken to a new life only after a long period. The minds of all peoples used to be deeply move