by jimwalton » Mon Nov 07, 2022 12:36 am
The mention of a personality doesn't mean he's referring to the personality as a historical figure. We have to assess how they talk about these figures and what they say. It's not known exactly when he lived, but it is assumed to be in the 1st or 2nd century.
About Jesus, Thallus tried to explain away the darkness at his crucifixion as a solar eclipse. So he is treating Jesus as a historical figure, his crucifixion by the Roman Empire as historical, and is trying to explain a historical or scientific phenomenon that was thought or known to occur, referencing a specific historical Christian claim.
About Zeus, whom he mentions only once, he speaks of a distinction between mortal men and the gods. It's in a section where he refers to them as "Greek fables."
I think we can see the two as very different. He seems to be referring to Jesus as a historical figure and to Zeus as a Greek fable.
The mention of a personality doesn't mean he's referring to the personality as a historical figure. We have to assess how they talk about these figures and what they say. It's not known exactly when he lived, but it is assumed to be in the 1st or 2nd century.
About Jesus, Thallus tried to explain away the darkness at his crucifixion as a solar eclipse. So he is treating Jesus as a historical figure, his crucifixion by the Roman Empire as historical, and is trying to explain a historical or scientific phenomenon that was thought or known to occur, referencing a specific historical Christian claim.
About Zeus, whom he mentions only once, he speaks of a distinction between mortal men and the gods. It's in a section where he refers to them as "Greek fables."
I think we can see the two as very different. He seems to be referring to Jesus as a historical figure and to Zeus as a Greek fable.