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JOSEPHUS·NEW TESTAMENT TOUCHPOINTS

Theudas and the Egyptian

ACTS 5:36; ACTS 21:38  ·  ANT. 20.5.1; 20.8.6

Acts 21:38 has the Roman commander ask Paul whether he is "that Egyptian" who led four thousand men into the wilderness; Josephus describes an Egyptian false prophet who gathered a crowd on the Mount of Olives under the procurator Felix and was routed. Acts 5:36 has Gamaliel mention a Theudas who rose up and was slain; Josephus describes a Theudas who led followers to the Jordan under Fadus, around AD 45.

FAIRNESS NOTE

Gamaliel is speaking before AD 45, so either Luke's Theudas is an earlier man of the same name (the name was common, and Josephus says there were "ten thousand" disorders in the period), or one of the two writers has the chronology wrong. Both possibilities are stated; the site does not paper over the difficulty.

KING JAMES VERSION

ACTS 5

36For before these days rose up Theudas, giving himself out to be somebody; to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves: who was slain; and all, as many as obeyed him, were dispersed, and came to nought.

36Some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men joined him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing.

36for before these days Theudas rose up, alleging himself to be somebody, to whom a number of men, about four hundred, were joined; who was slain, and all, as many as obeyed him, were dispersed and came to nothing.

36For before these times, rose vp Theudas boasting himselfe, to whom resorted a number of men, about a foure hundreth, who was slaine: and they all which obeyed him, were scattered, and brought to nought.

36For before these days rose up Theudas, boasting himself to be somebody; to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves: who was slain; and all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered, and brought to nought.

36For before these days Theudas rose up, making himself out to be somebody; to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves: who was slain; and all, as many as obeyed him, were dispersed, and came to nothing.

36for before these days rose up Theudas, saying, that himself was some one, to whom a number of men did join themselves, as it were four hundred, who was slain, and all, as many as were obeying him, were scattered, and came to nought.

ACTS 21

38Art thou not then the Egyptian, who before these days stirred up to sedition and led out into the wilderness the four thousand men of the Assassins?

38“Aren’t you the Egyptian who incited a rebellion some time ago and led four thousand members of the ‘Assassins’ into the wilderness?”

38Thou art not then that Egyptian who before these days raised a sedition and led out into the wilderness the four thousand men of the assassins?

38Art not thou the Egyptian who before these dayes raised a sedition, and led out into the wildernesse foure thousande men that were murtherers?

38Art not thou that Egyptian, which before these days madest an uproar, and leddest out into the wilderness four thousand men that were murderers?

38Aren’t you then the Egyptian, who before these days stirred up to sedition and led out into the wilderness the four thousand men of the Assassins?”

38art not thou, then, the Egyptian who before these days made an uprising, and did lead into the desert the four thousand men of the assassins?'

JOSEPHUS

Antiquities 20.5.1→

1. Now it came to pass, while Fadus was procurator of Judea, that a certain magician, whose name was Theudas, 9 persuaded a great part of the people to take their effects with them, and follow him to the river Jordan; for he told them he was a prophet, and that he would, by his own command, divide the river, and afford them an easy passage over it; and many were deluded by his words. However, Fadus did not permit them to make any advantage of his wild attempt, but sent a troop of horsemen out against them; who, falling upon them unexpectedly, slew many of them, and took many of them alive. They also took Theudas alive, and cut off his head, and carried it to Jerusalem. This was what befell the Jews in the time of Cuspius Fadus's government.

Antiquities 20.8.6→

6. These works, that were done by the robbers, filled the city with all sorts of impiety. And now these impostors and deceivers persuaded the multitude to follow them into the wilderness, and pretended that they would exhibit manifest wonders and signs, that should be performed by the providence of God. And many that were prevailed on by them suffered the punishments of their folly; for Felix brought them back, and then punished them. Moreover, there came out of Egypt 20 about this time to Jerusalem one that said he was a prophet, and advised the multitude of the common people to go along with him to the Mount of Olives, as it was called, which lay over against the city, and at the distance of five furlongs. He said further, that he would show them from hence how, at his command, the walls of Jerusalem would fall down; and he promised them that he would procure them an entrance into the city through those walls, when they were fallen down. Now when Felix was informed of these things, he ordered his soldiers to take their weapons, and came against them with a great number of horsemen and footmen from Jerusalem, and attacked the Egyptian and the people that were with him. He also slew four hundred of them, and took two hundred alive. But the Egyptian himself escaped out of the fight, but did not appear any more. And again the robbers stirred up the people to make war with the Romans, and said they ought not to obey them at all; and when any persons would not comply with them, they set fire to their villages, and plundered them.

The Works of Flavius Josephus, translated by William Whiston (1737). Public domain. Text prepared from the Project Gutenberg transcriptions, ebooks 2848, 2850, 2849 and 2846.