Slavonic Josephus Text Does Not Prove Authenticity of Famous Passage

Professor Solomon Zeitlin of Dropsie College, Philadelphia, who came to Moscow to study an alleged eighth century manuscript of Josephus’s “Jewish Wars”, said to contain the famous passage on Jesus, proving his historicity, has learned no such document exists, according to a Moscow despatch to the New York “Times.”

The Kyril version of Josephus, now in the Leningrad Public Library, Professor Zeitlin found to be an eleventh, not an eighth century translation and not a direct translation from the Aramaic.

Professor Zeitlin holds Josephus never issued his history in Aramaic but only prepared a first draft in that language, which was more familiar to him than Greek, then produced the Greek version with the help of a friend.

Professor Zeitlin’s examination of the Kyril manuscript, made in collaboration with the Russian historical academician. Professor Istrin, showed it to be a Slavonic translation from Byzantine Greek, which in turn is obviously a translation from the Latin version produced by Eusebius in the fourth century. Eusebius translated freely, adding to and illustrating various points which make his copy unmistakable to the scholar.

The Kyril manuscript was not written on parchment, as was usually the case in that period, but on fine thick paper, similar in appearance, the despatch stated.

Dr. V. Burch, lecturer of theology at the Liverpool Cathedral, put forth the claim that he had discovered an Old Russian (Slavonic) text of Josephus containing long statements regarding Jesus, his appearance, his activities and the manner of his death.

Dr. Burch published an article on the subject in “The Diocese Liverpool Review” and immediately aroused great interest.