JUDAS THE GALILEAN
In the first two chapters, I have endeavored to challenge the traditional timeline by exposing obvious errors in the New Testament chronology. In so doing, I hope to engage the reader in an historical quest for the real Jesus. Certainly, some may be confused while others have a hazy understanding of my arguments concerning Jesus and Judas the Galilean. Therefore, I deem it necessary to chronologically recount the life of Judas the Galilean and his movement, the Fourth Philosophy. This is done to tie together any loose ends which may be troubling the reader. This history will focus primarily upon the writings of Josephus (Antiquities and War) and the Slavonic Josephus. How close this corresponds to the story of Jesus as revealed in the Gospels is left up to your good judgment.
WHAT REALLY HAPPENED
In the year 4 BCE, two learned teachers of the law gazed out upon their students, an army of young men thirsting for righteousness. Every day this throng of Israel's future sat and listened to the wizened Matthias and his younger partner, Judas, preach the Kingdom of Heaven. The relationship between the two wise men can be argued as well as their ages, but the pattern of the Maccabees suggests that Matthias was the older father figure (or literal father) and Judas, the son. How they came to the Temple, to this point in the history of Israel can be deduced from what preceded them.
A generation earlier, according to the Slavonic Josephus, the priests argued among themselves concerning the promised Messiah. This passage was placed into the text of the War shortly after the discussion on Actium, dating this episode at approximately 31-30 BCE.
"The Law forbids us to have a foreigner [as] king, but we are expecting the Anointed, the Meek one, of David's line. Yet we know that Herod is an Arab, uncircumcised.... What is this? Or did the prophets somehow lie? They wrote that we shall never lack a prince of Judah until there comes the One whom it is given back; in him the nations will hope. But is this [King Herod] the hope of nations? We detest his misdeeds; are the nations going to hope in him?" (After War 1.369)
Surely, this negative feeling by the priests was shared by the common man. The Jews were looking for a King from their own line, from the promised line of David. A little further into the Slavonic text was inserted a variant form of the "Star of Bethlehem". This can be dated to the early years of Herod the Great, or to about 25 BCE. The details are slightly different from the account in Matthew, but the meaning of the "Star" is explained.
And after waiting a year for them [Persian astrologers], they did not come to [see] him [Herod the Great]. And he [Herod] was furious and summoned the priests [who were his] advisors and asked if any of them understood [the meaning of] the star. And they answered him: "It is written: 'A star shall shine forth from Jacob and a man shall arise from Judah'."... "It is written that the Anointed One is [to be] born in Bethlehem. Even if you have no mercy on your servants, kill those infants of Bethlehem and let the others go." And he [Herod] gave the order and they killed all the infants of Bethlehem. (After War 1.400) (Emphasis mine)
According to Balaam's fourth oracle, as predicted in Numbers 24:17-19, "a star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel... A ruler will come out of Jacob and destroy the survivors of the city." The religious leaders pointed to this passage as proof that God would send a ruler from Jacob. That is why the Jews detested Herod. Herod was an interloper, an outsider. He would never command the respect of the Jewish people. The Slavonic passage also detailed that this Anointed One was born in Bethlehem, but not in 6-4 BCE as reported by Matthew's Gospel, but rather in 25 BCE, a good generation earlier.
Herod the Great may have been a good ruler in that he built fine cities and restored the Temple itself, but his introduction of pagan ways (athletic events, the theater and images within the Temple) alienated a portion of the populace. Surely, to these religious fanatics, the reign of Herod was inconsistent with the Scriptures and the Reign of God. In 25 BCE, a group of ten men planned to assassinate Herod, using short knives hidden within their garments. The plot was exposed, and the ten were put to death. But the struggle against Herod and pagan influences had just begun. A movement was forming that was based upon the distant exploits of Mattathias and his son Judas Maccabee (170 BCE). In this new Jewish sect. a leader named Matthias taught about the true meaning of God's promises, freedom from pagan influences and the equality of all Jews. Whether or not Matthias began in Jerusalem or among the cities of Galilee, we will never know. But his teachings did bring him to Jerusalem by 4 BCE, along with his son, Judas.
The Slavonic Josephus includes many passages about the "Christian" movement, including three about John the Baptist and one on the "wonder worker", or the Messiah. It is revealing that this source also expands upon the Golden Eagle Temple Cleansing. (This suggests that this Temple Cleansing was part of the early movement's most famous stories.) According to the Slavonic Josephus, Matthias and Judas said this to their followers:
"Come, men of Judaea, now is the time for men to behave like men, to show what reverence we have for the Law of Moses. Let not our race be shamed, let us not bring disgrace on our Law-giver. Let us take as the model for [our] exploits Eleazar first and the seven Maccabee brothers and the mother who made men [of them]. For, when Antiochus had conquered and subjugated our land and was ruling over us, he was defeated by these seven youths and [their] old teacher and an old woman. Let us also be worthy of them, let us not prove weaker than a woman. But even if we are to be tortured for our zeal for God, a greater wreath has been plaited for us. And if they kill us, our souls as it leaves [this] dark abode will return to [our] forefathers, where Abraham and his offspring [dwell]." (After War 1.650) (Emphasis mine)
The passage emphasizes that the current freedom movement should be modeled upon the Maccabee uprising. Note that there is also an emphasis on family: a father, a mother and seven brothers. It is quite probable that Matthias was the father and Judas the son. However, it also implies that there were other brothers involved. This would be consistent with what is known about Jesus and his brothers from Paul (1 Cor. 9:5 and Galatians) and from a few passages in Acts. It is clear that Judas the Galilean had sons because Josephus mentioned the crucifixion of two sons, James and Simon, in Ant. 20.102 and the stoning of another son, Menahem, in War 2.433-434. It is quite probable that Judas also had brothers who helped carry on the movement when he himself was killed.
The Slavonic Josephus also ties the Temple-cleansing Judas to Judas the Galilean, mentioned by Josephus in 6 CE, at the Census of Cyrenius. The Temple-cleansing Judas preached a great reverence for the law and zeal in the face of torture. This is exactly equal to the teachings of Judas the Galilean. So this lone passage tells us that Judas was Judas the Galilean, that he came from a large family with several brothers, and the placement of the text at the Golden Eagle Temple Cleansing brings the "Jesus" movement back a generation, to 4 BCE.
To Matthias and Judas, the Temple was dedicated to the unseen God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But Herod had purposely adorned the Temple with the Golden Eagle, an image of beauty to Herod and his followers, a sign of fealty to Rome and a slap in the face to those who strictly interpreted the Scriptures. After all, did not God command His followers to abstain from idols (Deut. 5:8-9), and did He not punish the children of Israel who fashioned a calf from gold while Moses received the Ten Commandments (Ex. 32). To Matthias, the Golden Eagle was no different than the calf authorized by Aaron. God would surly reward those who destroyed such idols.
The young impressionable students were whipped into frenzy by the seditious teachers. They were convinced that God expected them to rise up against Herod and his graven image of homage to Rome. Such a show of devotion would be richly rewarded not only in this life but in the life to come. In this life each would be remembered as a martyr, bringing fame upon the household. In the life to come, God would honor them with eternal happiness. So, like the martyrs of today, these followers of Matthias and Judas were all too willing to attack the power structure, that being Herod the Great.
In broad daylight, the students brought down the Golden Eagle, crashing it to the ground. But in their enthusiasm, the students were oblivious to Herod's guards, who quickly brought an end to the uprising and imprisoned those caught at the Temple. Included among the prisoners were the authors of the sedition, Matthias and Judas.
A trial of sorts was arranged, but the sentence had already been passed. The prisoners were bound and sent to Jericho awaiting Herod's final decision. Herod was bitter about the whole affair. After all, had he not provided the Jews with a beautiful Temple and the Golden Eagle. This act against the Golden Eagle was no different than an attack upon himself. So there was no doubt in the matter; the prisoners were guilty and deserved death. In a related matter, the high priest with the same name, Matthias, was also punished as a result of this sedition. Reminiscent of Pilate relinquishing power to the mob due to his wife's dream, this Matthias had once before stepped down from his office for a day because of a dream involving sexual relations with his wife. But now he was being permanently replaced by Joazar, who was his wife's brother.
The sentence of death was the expected outcome. Herod had Matthias and his followers burnt alive. Josephus stated in the War that both rabbis were killed, but in Antiquities mentioned only the death of Matthias. What most likely occurred was the execution of the movement's leader, Matthias, and a number of his followers. Those remaining, including Judas, were imprisoned in order to dangle their fate in the face of the seditious. In short, Judas was an insurance policy against any other rebellious acts against Herod. A second powerful motive in imprisoning Judas involved Herod's desire for true mourning at his own death. Josephus stated that Herod planned to kill a great number of people at the time of his death so that there would be mourning throughout Israel. Judas and his followers may have been part of this plan. Either way, it was just a matter of time until Judas would meet the same fate as Matthias.
Judas and his fellow prisoners were spared an eventual death for only one reason: Herod the Great had died (4 BCE), and his insane orders of mass murder were not obeyed. In terms of stability, the death of this tyrannical yet able administrator rocked the country. But it also presented a great opportunity for those who had been persecuted and oppressed for so many years. Herod's death coincided with the Passover feast, a time when pilgrims flocked to Jerusalem to celebrate Israel's deliverance from Egypt. This left Herod's son, Archelaus, with a dilemma: how could he gain firm control of the government without offending the masses?
The crowds sensed that Archelaus was not dealing from strength and that he might be swayed by their desires. They asked if he would ease their annual taxes and remove all taxes related to sales and purchases. These were very serious requests, for a king must have revenues to rule effectively. Even so, Archelaus assented to their will, pretending to agree to these requests. And a segment of the people, those who mourned the death of Matthias, asked one other favor: release those who had been imprisoned by Herod. And once again, Archelaus agreed. Judas was now a free man. (Some argue that Archelaus did not release prisoners as he promised. That may be true for his tax promises, for these promises could only be realized sometime in the future. But the release of prisoners could be made now. Josephus also mentioned that Archelaus replaced the High Priest upon the requests of the crowd. This plea, too, could be accomplished at the present and was therefore acted upon.)
Archelaus soon realized that any concession to the followers of Matthias and Judas was fruitless, for these fanatics could never be won over by friendly intentions. In this, he was correct, for this new movement had no intention of meekly following the Herodian dynasty. In fact, they wished to upset this structure in order to fully implement their theocracy. Predictably, tensions arose and the military slaughter began. Judas escaped with a group of disciples and headed to Galilee, to the city of Sepphoris.
Judas had witnessed the execution of Matthias and many of their students and had just fled from a massacre in Jerusalem. His thoughts must have been upon the security of the small group he now led. In a bold move, he attacked the armory with its large cache of weapons. His followers were now well armed and could defend themselves from all except the army of Archelaus. His reliance upon these weapons of man diminished as he witnessed the awesome power of Rome. Consistent with guerrilla warfare, Judas and his bandit followers blended into the countryside as the Roman army marched upon Sepphoris, burning it to the ground, enslaving all its inhabitants. Surely, this sight hardened Judas against Rome and the Herodian sycophants.
But safety depended upon guile and resourcefulness. The message of fealty to God and refusing to be a slave to human masters (Rome) was transmitted to eager ears throughout Galilee on a small-scale basis. Judas did not draw too much attention to himself by setting up base in any city. Instead, he moved throughout the countryside, always prepared for a quick getaway.
As his popularity grew in Galilee, Judas may have asked his disciples this question: "Who do people think I am?" A teacher, a prophet and the Messiah were the answers. Unlike our heavenly vision of the Messiah, the Jews held that the king or Anointed One was the Messiah. In fact, in this particular era (shortly after the death of Herod the Great in 4 BCE), many warlords and popular teachers were crowned King by their disciples. In this way, Judas was no different. His disciples led the way to Mount Tabor where they anointed Judas King and Messiah. This probably occurred some short time after his release from prison, between 4-2 BCE. Thus, Judas' tenure as Messiah in Galilee lasted anywhere from eight to ten years, depending on his anointment. During this time, Judas widened his appeal among the downtrodden in Galilee, always being careful not to directly engage the authorities.
But an event stirred the pot, where all Jews were affected. The Census of Cyrenius (6 CE) was a means for Rome to separate Judea from its wealth. The Roman Governor, Coponius, was appointed to lend the power of Rome to this taxing situation. At first, the population was outraged. But this opposition soon melted away as the High Priest, Joazar, convinced the people that such a tax was for their own good. In this he may have been correct as the Romans were adept at building and improving the means of transportation throughout the Empire. But to Judas the Galilean, this taxation was nothing other than support for another king, another power. Judas preached that only God was their master, and that the foreigners were merely slave masters. Thus, his opposition to this taxation was direct and to the point. "Whom do you support, God or Rome?"
Judas the Galilean was a clever rabbi, as ascribed by Josephus (War 2.433). In conjunction with his census revolt, Judas sent out a holy man to introduce him to the Jewish nation. In Luke 3:1-3, John the Baptist introduced Jesus to the world. In the Slavonic Josephus, the holy man passage was placed right before this description of Judas the Galilean:
Under his administration [Coponius] it was that a certain Galilean, whose name was Judas, prevailed with his countrymen to revolt; and said they were cowards if they would endure to pay a tax to the Romans, and would, after God, submit to mortal men as their lords. This man was a teacher of a peculiar sect of his own, and was not at all like the rest of those their leaders. (War 2.118) (Emphasis mine)
To Josephus, Judas the Galilean was unlike any other teacher. This same sentiment is evident throughout the Gospel portrayal of Jesus. Note the charge against Jesus in Luke 23:2-5: "And they began to accuse him, saying, 'We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Christ (Messiah), a king.... He stirs up the people all over Judea by his teaching. He started in Galilee and has come all the way here.'" This passage about Jesus of Nazareth was surely a rewrite of Judas the Galilean's ministry.
This was the radical rebel who John the Baptist introduced in 6 CE. The Slavonic Josephus described John as "wild of visage", and his message mirrored that of Judas the Galilean. John called the Jews to freedom stating: "God hath sent me to show you the lawful way, by which you will be rid of [your] many rulers. But there will be no mortal ruling [over you], only the Most High, who hath sent me." (After War 2.110) This was a call for freedom, a warning signal to the ruling elites. John was brought before Archelaus (6 CE), where he was questioned before the experts in the law, and threatened with torture if he did not refrain from his activities. John simply replied: "It is you who should cease from your foul deeds and adhere to the Lord, your God."
Unlike the Gospels, John appeared in 6 CE, before the tax revolt of Judas the Galilean. The Gospel of Luke placed John in 29 CE, many years after Archelaus and the census. Why would there be two completely different chronologies for the introduction of John? The historical story of Judas the Galilean confirms the 6 CE date while the later date of 29 CE is fraught with contradictions, per Chapter 1. The reason is clear for the displacement of John: the early church had to distance itself from the "Jesus" of history or Judas the Galilean. In his place was inserted the Gospel Jesus of Nazareth.
The census was the launching pad for Judas' nationwide campaign. His Kingship in Galilee had been solid, and his reputation was beyond reproach, but not since his brush with death in the Golden Eagle Temple Cleansing had Judas returned to Jerusalem. How long did the tax revolt last and when did Judas once again march on Jerusalem? According to Acts 5:37, Judas' tax revolt was crushed and his followers were scattered. However, this does not square with history or common sense. Josephus never mentioned Judas' death although he did relate the deaths of Judas' sons, Simon and James, by crucifixion, another son's stoning (Menahem) and the death of a grandson at Masada. It is inconceivable that Josephus would have omitted the death of his main character, Judas. This, too, was probably overwritten by early Christians. The lone passage of Jesus in the Antiquities (18.63-64) is an obvious interpolation and comes right when we would expect to read of Judas' death. Thus, my hypothesis is that Judas led his tax revolt from 6-19 CE. (This explains how the movement flourished!) Assuming that Judas was born in 25 BCE (Slavonic Josephus version of the Star of Bethlehem), he would have been captured at the age of 43. This is very interesting considering the Gospel of John said this about Jesus: "You are not yet fifty years old." (John 8:57) This implies that "Jesus" was in his forties, not his thirties as claimed by the traditional timeline. Being in his forties is consistent with Judas the Galilean but not the traditional Jesus of Nazareth.
In 19 CE, the time must have seemed right for action. Judas' popularity soared, and the call against Rome was a strong rallying cry. God would deliver the Jews from the hands of the invaders just as He had done in the days of Judas Maccabee. At this fateful time in history, Judas the Galilean was a middle-aged man, somewhere in his early forties. His ministry had begun at the side of an older mentor and possibly father, Matthias. Like his teacher Matthias, Judas also worked with a lieutenant. He was named Sadduc according to Josephus (Ant. 18.4) and was probably nearly the same age as Judas or even a few years younger. Although age and wisdom went hand-in-hand in Jewish culture, the second-in-command could have been a younger, more vigorous man. Moses chose Joshua, a much younger man, to lead the nation of Israel into the Promised Land. But since Judas was relatively young, a major difference in age would be unlikely.
This question of age is very important as one other figure must also be counted in the equation. James the Just, or the brother of the Lord, would have been between 38-53 years old in 19 CE, most likely the younger brother of Judas. (Tradition says that James was ninety-six years old at his death in 62 CE. Based upon that, James may have been born as early as 35 BCE. This extremely old age of ninety-six may have been an exaggeration, but James was probably an old man at his death, between eighty and ninety-six.) Regardless, the age of James comes much closer to the age of Judas the Galilean than to that of the Gospel Jesus.
The age of Judas is also necessary to compute the approximate ages of his sons and grandsons. If Judas were married at age twenty (4 BCE) and had sons every third year for twelve years, then the ages of Judas' sons in 19 CE would have been twenty-two, nineteen, sixteen and thirteen. The elder two (Simon and James) were crucified under Tiberius Alexander in 47 CE. Their approximate ages would have been fifty and forty-seven. Menahem, the youngest son, was stoned to death in 66 CE, making him approximately fifty to fifty-five years old. A grandson, Eleazar, committed suicide at Masada in 73 CE, making him nearly fifty years old as well. Thus, the dating for the life and times of Judas the Galilean fits perfectly well within the 4 BCE to 19 CE timeframe.
Josephus did not record anything else about Judas directly. But much more can be deduced from other materials about his grandson, Menahem. This Menahem overtook the king's armory at Masada in the same way that Judas had captured the armory at Sepphoris, some seventy years earlier. After the capture of Masada, Menahem marched as king (Messiah) to Jerusalem, where he assumed control for a short while before being murdered. Menahem's actions closely followed the pattern set by Judas. After Judas captured Sepphoris, his disciples proclaimed him king or Messiah. This title he kept, but his influence was centered primarily in Galilee. It was the nationwide census and the arrival of the Roman governors which eventually drove Judas to Jerusalem.
The exact date of Judas' triumphal entry into Jerusalem may be forever a mystery. His nationwide ministry began with the census in 6 CE, but his actions at that point are not so certain. He may have rallied the troops and headed straight to Jerusalem. However, that does not appear to be the modus operandi of that "clever rabbi". He most likely built a large opposition to the census tax by traveling from town to town. This would have taken many years to accomplish. In addition, his movement may have gone beyond the bounds of Israel, even to Rome itself. The history of Josephus is curiously missing data between 7-37 CE, as if someone had purposely expunged his information. But the Roman historian, Tacitus, may help in identifying the date of Judas' death. Between 16-18 CE, in the reign of Tiberius, he wrote: "The provinces too of Syria and Judaea, exhausted by their burdens, implored a reduction of tribute." (1) It appears likely that Judas' movement was having an impact on the nation's attitude towards Roman taxation. Whether or not Judas was still alive at this point may be answered by what was happening in Rome in 19 CE.
There was a debate too about expelling the Egyptian and Jewish worship, and a resolution of the Senate was passed that four thousand of the freedman class who were infected with those superstitions and were of military age should be transported to the island of Sardinia, to quell the brigandage of the place, a cheap sacrifice should they die from the pestilential climate. The rest were to quit Italy, unless before a certain day they repudiated their impious rites. (Tacitus, The Annals ii.85)
For some reason, the Jews were being expelled from Rome, especially those of military age. It is quite probable that the crucifixion of Judas the Galilean had started riots throughout the Roman Empire where Jewish settlements had been infiltrated by those of the Fourth Philosophy. If this were the case, then Judas died in 19 CE. This date also conforms to the dating of the spurious Jesus passage in Antiquities 18.63-64. This may explain why the Fourth Philosophy spread so far. In the New Testament account, Jesus died in 30-33 CE with only 120 disciples remaining (Acts 1:15). From that pathetic beginning, we are to believe that the movement spread throughout the Roman Empire in only a few short years. If, however, Judas the Galilean were active in spreading his message afar from 6-19 CE, either personally or through surrogates, the overall reach of the movement makes sense.
The march into Jerusalem for Judas and his disciples would have been exciting yet foreboding. The belief that God would deliver them from the powerful grip of Rome was a centerpiece of their religion. Josephus plainly stated that these followers of Judas willingly gave their lives rather than worship anyone or anything other than the one true God. Yet, even with this firm system of beliefs, doubts must have entered their minds in those times when silence reigned, in the nighttime or when negative thoughts pervaded their consciousness.
But such thoughts of failure were not uttered aloud. Judas' mission as Messiah would not fail. And it was not at the Passover when Judas entered the city but at the Feast of Tabernacles. Maccoby presents a convincing case that Jesus entered Jerusalem in the fall, at the Feast of Tabernacles. The conflict prophesied by Zechariah (14:16) was to take place at the Feast of Tabernacles. (2) As Jesus supposedly rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, he and his disciples must have been fully aware of the time predicted by Zechariah. It was also at this time that the king was to read a portion of the law relating to his duties at the Temple. Thus, a Temple Cleansing was necessary. So when Judas entered Jerusalem as King, or Messiah, he at once went to the Temple in order to prepare it. This was the second Temple Cleansing by Judas. The first was in 4 BCE in the Golden Eagle Temple Cleansing. This second cleansing was in preparation of the new Kingdom, where God would govern His people. The time for Rome was short.
After this second Temple cleansing, Judas readied himself for the fateful clash with Rome, on the Mount of Olives, as prophesied by Zechariah. Never did Judas believe that God would abandon him. But on the Mount of Olives, Judas and some of his followers were captured. These individuals were crucified under the governorship of Pontius Pilate. Giving their approval were the High Priest, Caiaphas, and his father-in-law, Annas, both active in the crucifixion of Jesus in the Gospels.
It is quite interesting to note that Judas led a Temple Cleansing at the beginning of his mission as did Jesus according to the Gospel of John. The Synoptic Gospels talk of a second Temple Cleansing, of which Judas would have performed as well upon entering Jerusalem, consistent with the actions of his son, Menahem, who cleansed the Temple in 66 CE. In 4 BCE, there was a prisoner release. These prisoners were no doubt associated with the Golden Eagle Temple Cleansing, which was an insurrection in the city. In addition, this prisoner release occurred at the Passover. This is perfectly in-sync with the Gospel account of Barabbas. After this, Judas was proclaimed Messiah in Galilee, just as the Gospels portrayed the ministry of Jesus. Judas' march to Jerusalem was predicated by the census, which was convincingly sold to the masses by the High Priest, Joazar. This Joazar was replaced by Annas in 6 CE, who would then be the major opponent of Judas until Judas' death. That is why the Gospel Jesus was taken first to Annas after the arrest in the Gospel of John. For his efforts, Judas was crucified under Pilate for his refusal to pay taxes to Rome and for being hailed as King. These were the two main charges leveled against the Gospel Jesus.
Even with the death of Judas the Galilean, the Fourth Philosophy grew in number and power. Led by his second-in-command, Sadduc, the movement strengthened. (Sadduc will be examined in Chapter 4.) In Acts chapter 1, the Jesus movement replaced Judas Iscariot with a Matthias, who was never heard from again. In reality, the one who was replaced was Judas the Galilean, not Judas Iscariot. (There was no Judas Iscariot as will be explained in Chapter 17). The person who replaced Judas was his brother, James the Just. This James led the movement until his death by stoning in 62 CE. (See Chapter 5.)
JUDAS, JUDAS THE BANDIT, and JUDAS THE GALILEAN
Many scholars do not believe that Judas the Galilean was the same Judas as was described in the Golden Eagle Temple Cleansing or the Judas who raided the armory at Sepphoris. In War 1.655, Josephus claimed that the rabbis (Matthias and Judas) were put to death, although not mentioning them by name. However, in Ant. 17.167, only Matthias died and it appears as if Judas was imprisoned under Herod and awaited final sentencing. If Judas languished in prison, he was undoubtedly released by Archelaus as part of the Barabbas-style prisoner release in 4 BCE (War 2.4). Once released, Judas went to Sepphoris with his disciples and raided the armory. Later, he was proclaimed Messiah and claimed the nationwide stage at the census in 6 CE. Eventually, he rode into Jerusalem as Messiah and was summarily crucified by Pontius Pilate (19-21 CE) for his refusal to pay taxes to Rome and his claim of being Messiah, or King of the Jews.
There is one scholar who believes that the Golden Eagle Judas may well have been Judas the Galilean. Robert Eisenman, author of James, the Brother of Jesus, writes:
This rabbi [Golden Eagle Judas] is hardly to be distinguished from Judas the Galilean subsequently, even though for Josephus Judas Sepphoraeus, together with another 'rabbi' he calls Matthias (again note the Maccabean names), are burned alive ('being guilty of sacrilege under the pretence of zeal for the law'), while Judas the Galilean goes on functioning and Josephus never does delineate his fate. Josephus (or his sources - this is forty years before Josephus was born), may have been mistaken about this detail, as later in the Antiquities he says only Matthias was burned. Here, Josephus portrays the people as preferring the burning of the rabbis and their followers rather than having 'a great number prosecuted', a point of view echoed in John 11:50's picture of Caiaphas' famous explanation to his fellow Chief Priests about Jesus: 'it profits us more that one man die for the people, rather than the whole nation perish.' (3)
The following passages from Josephus and the Gospels will bring the Temple-Cleansing Judas, the armory-raiding Judas and Judas the Galilean together. This is important because the traditionalist and Mythicist theories of Christianity both see Judas as a one-act wonder. Tying Josephus' three Judas' together gives a fuller picture of this great rabbi, extending his ministry from before 4 BCE through the armory raid in Sepphoris to the census uprising in 6 CE and to Jerusalem and his death in 19-21 CE.
1. Two Gospel references may describe Jesus fleeing from Herod Antipas. "At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, 'Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you.'" (Luke 13:31) And in Matt. 12:1-8, Jesus and his disciples picked heads of grain and ate them on the Sabbath, thus working on the Sabbath. As a defense, Jesus referred his critics to David, who ate consecrated bread while being chased by Saul. Jesus' argument seems to place him in the same position as David, fleeing from the authorities. These two passages may hearken back to Judas escaping his death sentence imposed upon Matthias and forty others. (Ant. 17.149-167) In fact, Judas was probably imprisoned by Herod the Great and then later released in the Barabbas scenario noted earlier. (War 2.4)
Since Herod Antipas was Tetrarch of Galilee from 4 BCE to 39 CE, the references to this Herod do not necessarily put Jesus in a later time frame. The above passages may also describe the efforts put forth by Herod Antipas to capture Judas after his release and retreat from Jerusalem. After all, Judas did break into the armory at Sepphoris, supplying his followers with weapons and whatever money was there. (Ant. 17.271-272) Therefore, Herod Antipas would have been after Judas as well.
2. Josephus mentioned a bandit leader named Judas, who led a rebel group at Sepphoris in Galilee, around 4-2 BCE. This Judas attacked the royal armory and equipped his followers. (Ant. 17.271; War 2.56) The Temple-Cleansing Judas was the son of Sepphoris, per the account in War 1.648. In one instance, Sepphoris was a city, in another, a name. It is quite possible that Josephus mistook a place for a name. This error does link the released prisoner to the bandit, through the city name. Also note that Archelaus released political prisoners to the populace, hoping to atone for his father, Herod the Great. (War 2.4) Judas had been captured with Matthias and was no doubt placed in prison and later released. Shortly after this prison release, Josephus wrote about Judas the bandit. This proximity of events is not clear cut proof but it is circumstantial evidence.
3. The teachings of Matthias and Judas were similar to those of Judas the Galilean. Both were obsessed with following the Law and keeping the Temple pure. They also would gladly die rather than worship idols or Caesars. (Ant. 17.151; Ant. 18.23) Note also that Matthias and Judas cleansed the Temple of an idol, the Golden Eagle, thereby confronting Herod the Great with sedition. In 41 CE, the Jewish fanatics were willing to go to war with Rome if Caligula placed a statue of himself in the Temple. (Tacitus, Histories, v.9) The followers of Hezekiah, Judas the bandit's father or grandfather, also had a presence at the Temple. (Ant. 14.168)
The tie between Judas and Judas the Galilean is assured when we consider the symbolism of the Golden Eagle. Not only did this represent the power of Herod the Great, but its placement in the Temple area was a not too subtle way of paying homage to Rome. (The Eagle was the symbol of Rome.) By tearing down the Golden Eagle, Judas and Matthias were proclaiming war upon Rome. This same mentality was present at the Census of Cyrenius, where Judas the Galilean and Sadduc opposed Roman taxation.
This secure connection is further cemented by the Slavonic Josephus. Additional data concerning the Golden Eagle Temple Cleansing was included in this account. The Golden Eagle was placed in the Temple as an honor to Caesar. In addition, Judas and Matthias patterned themselves after the Maccabees in resistance against a foreign power and in their willingness to die for their cause. (4) This is identical to the Fourth Philosophy of Judas the Galilean.
4. Joazar was the High Priest in 4 BCE during the Golden Eagle Temple Cleansing. (Ant. 17.164) Joazar persuaded the people to accept the Roman taxation of 6 CE which was opposed by Judas the Galilean. (Ant. 18.3) In both cases, the High Priest supported the Roman presence in Judea. Joazar could be considered the Evil Priest of the Dead Sea Scrolls. However, his replacement, Annas (6-15 CE) makes an even better Evil Priest.
5. Matthias and Judas worked as a team. Judas the Galilean also had a second-in-command, Sadduc. (Ant. 17.149; Ant. 18.4) This organizational structure was modeled after the Maccabees. Mattathias and Judas led rebels against the Greek occupiers beginning around 195 BCE. When Mattathias died, his son Simon replaced him. Thus, Judas Maccabee and his brother, Simon, were the leaders of the movement. In the New Testament, Jesus appointed Peter as his second-in-command, although a closer reading of Paul's letters shows that James was the leader and Cephas (Peter) was second-in-command to James. (See Galatians) Sometime after Jesus' death, James and Peter led the Jewish Christian movement. (The Sadduc may have been leading the movement after the death of Judas. Chapter 5 will attempt to identify this shadowy historical figure.) In all the above cases, the movements were led by two men. When one died, the other became leader and a replacement was added to the team.
6. Matthias and Judas were referred to as wise men by Josephus, a high honor indeed. (Ant. 17.155) Judas the Galilean was called a clever rabbi by Josephus in War 2.433. These words of honor are especially important because Josephus opposed Judas the Galilean. Josephus wrote his history for the Romans. However, even though he did not agree with the politics of Judas, he did understand Judas' great influence throughout first-century Judea. There even may have been a touch of admiration for the rebel leader.
7. Judas the Galilean's son, Menahem, broke into King Herod's armory in Masada (66 CE) just as Judas, the bandit, had done in Sepphoris (4-3 BCE). (War 2.433; War 2.56) This definitely links the 4 BCE Judas with the 6 CE Judas the Galilean. And this also proves that Judas the Galilean would have been active at the time of the Golden Eagle Temple Cleansing of 4 BCE.
8. The father, or most likely grandfather, of Judas the bandit, was Hezekias (Ezekias). This Hezekias was put to death by Herod the Great. Hezekias' followers petitioned at the Temple for justice in regards to Herod's actions. Hezekias' followers had a presence in Galilee and in Jerusalem, just as Matthias and Judas in 4 BCE and Judas and Sadduc in 6 CE. In addition, King Hezekiah purified the Temple, so the name Hezekias may hearken back to this as well.
9. Matthias and Judas resembled Mattathias and Judas Maccabee in that both pairs cleansed the Temple and the names were identical. Judas the bandit and Judas Maccabee were both terrible to all men. (Ant. 12.314; Ant. 17.272) And Judas the Galilean and Sadduc were also based upon the Maccabean precedent of a leader and second-in-command.
10. After the death of Matthias and the imprisonment of Judas, their followers petitioned Archelaus for the release of Judas (Barabbas) and for tax relief. (Ant. 17.204-205) Judas the Galilean led his followers in opposing the census tax of Cyrenius. (Ant. 18.1-10) This concern for tax relief is very important. It was one of the cornerstones of the movement. Note also that Jesus was crucified for his refusal to pay taxes to Rome.
CONCLUSION
This short section on Judas the Galilean is based primarily upon the writings of Josephus, the only Jewish historian of the time. The Slavonic Josephus also contributes to the overall picture of this man and his movement. The picture that emerges is quite different from the accepted storyline of Judas as represented in Acts chapter 5. (See Chapter 2 for an analysis of Acts chapter 5.) Judas the Galilean was not a one-hit wonder. His movement lasted from before the Golden Eagle Temple Cleansing in 4 BCE to the last gasp at Masada in 73 CE. His fight against Rome was legendary. How could this history have been lost for two thousand years? How could this powerful rabbi have been reduced to a mere footnote in the history of first-century Judea? These questions will be answered in Part III, but now we will attempt to further explore the history of Judas' movement, starting with the Sadduc.
1. Tacitus, The Annals, ii. 42.
2. Hyam Maccoby, Revolution in Judaea, p. 136.
3. Robert Eisenman, James the Brother of Jesus, p. 252.
4. Slavonic Josephus, After War 1.650.
In the first two chapters, I have endeavored to challenge the traditional timeline by exposing obvious errors in the New Testament chronology. In so doing, I hope to engage the reader in an historical quest for the real Jesus. Certainly, some may be confused while others have a hazy understanding of my arguments concerning Jesus and Judas the Galilean. Therefore, I deem it necessary to chronologically recount the life of Judas the Galilean and his movement, the Fourth Philosophy. This is done to tie together any loose ends which may be troubling the reader. This history will focus primarily upon the writings of Josephus (Antiquities and War) and the Slavonic Josephus. How close this corresponds to the story of Jesus as revealed in the Gospels is left up to your good judgment.
WHAT REALLY HAPPENED
In the year 4 BCE, two learned teachers of the law gazed out upon their students, an army of young men thirsting for righteousness. Every day this throng of Israel's future sat and listened to the wizened Matthias and his younger partner, Judas, preach the Kingdom of Heaven. The relationship between the two wise men can be argued as well as their ages, but the pattern of the Maccabees suggests that Matthias was the older father figure (or literal father) and Judas, the son. How they came to the Temple, to this point in the history of Israel can be deduced from what preceded them.
A generation earlier, according to the Slavonic Josephus, the priests argued among themselves concerning the promised Messiah. This passage was placed into the text of the War shortly after the discussion on Actium, dating this episode at approximately 31-30 BCE.
"The Law forbids us to have a foreigner [as] king, but we are expecting the Anointed, the Meek one, of David's line. Yet we know that Herod is an Arab, uncircumcised.... What is this? Or did the prophets somehow lie? They wrote that we shall never lack a prince of Judah until there comes the One whom it is given back; in him the nations will hope. But is this [King Herod] the hope of nations? We detest his misdeeds; are the nations going to hope in him?" (After War 1.369)
Surely, this negative feeling by the priests was shared by the common man. The Jews were looking for a King from their own line, from the promised line of David. A little further into the Slavonic text was inserted a variant form of the "Star of Bethlehem". This can be dated to the early years of Herod the Great, or to about 25 BCE. The details are slightly different from the account in Matthew, but the meaning of the "Star" is explained.
And after waiting a year for them [Persian astrologers], they did not come to [see] him [Herod the Great]. And he [Herod] was furious and summoned the priests [who were his] advisors and asked if any of them understood [the meaning of] the star. And they answered him: "It is written: 'A star shall shine forth from Jacob and a man shall arise from Judah'."... "It is written that the Anointed One is [to be] born in Bethlehem. Even if you have no mercy on your servants, kill those infants of Bethlehem and let the others go." And he [Herod] gave the order and they killed all the infants of Bethlehem. (After War 1.400) (Emphasis mine)
According to Balaam's fourth oracle, as predicted in Numbers 24:17-19, "a star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel... A ruler will come out of Jacob and destroy the survivors of the city." The religious leaders pointed to this passage as proof that God would send a ruler from Jacob. That is why the Jews detested Herod. Herod was an interloper, an outsider. He would never command the respect of the Jewish people. The Slavonic passage also detailed that this Anointed One was born in Bethlehem, but not in 6-4 BCE as reported by Matthew's Gospel, but rather in 25 BCE, a good generation earlier.
Herod the Great may have been a good ruler in that he built fine cities and restored the Temple itself, but his introduction of pagan ways (athletic events, the theater and images within the Temple) alienated a portion of the populace. Surely, to these religious fanatics, the reign of Herod was inconsistent with the Scriptures and the Reign of God. In 25 BCE, a group of ten men planned to assassinate Herod, using short knives hidden within their garments. The plot was exposed, and the ten were put to death. But the struggle against Herod and pagan influences had just begun. A movement was forming that was based upon the distant exploits of Mattathias and his son Judas Maccabee (170 BCE). In this new Jewish sect. a leader named Matthias taught about the true meaning of God's promises, freedom from pagan influences and the equality of all Jews. Whether or not Matthias began in Jerusalem or among the cities of Galilee, we will never know. But his teachings did bring him to Jerusalem by 4 BCE, along with his son, Judas.
The Slavonic Josephus includes many passages about the "Christian" movement, including three about John the Baptist and one on the "wonder worker", or the Messiah. It is revealing that this source also expands upon the Golden Eagle Temple Cleansing. (This suggests that this Temple Cleansing was part of the early movement's most famous stories.) According to the Slavonic Josephus, Matthias and Judas said this to their followers:
"Come, men of Judaea, now is the time for men to behave like men, to show what reverence we have for the Law of Moses. Let not our race be shamed, let us not bring disgrace on our Law-giver. Let us take as the model for [our] exploits Eleazar first and the seven Maccabee brothers and the mother who made men [of them]. For, when Antiochus had conquered and subjugated our land and was ruling over us, he was defeated by these seven youths and [their] old teacher and an old woman. Let us also be worthy of them, let us not prove weaker than a woman. But even if we are to be tortured for our zeal for God, a greater wreath has been plaited for us. And if they kill us, our souls as it leaves [this] dark abode will return to [our] forefathers, where Abraham and his offspring [dwell]." (After War 1.650) (Emphasis mine)
The passage emphasizes that the current freedom movement should be modeled upon the Maccabee uprising. Note that there is also an emphasis on family: a father, a mother and seven brothers. It is quite probable that Matthias was the father and Judas the son. However, it also implies that there were other brothers involved. This would be consistent with what is known about Jesus and his brothers from Paul (1 Cor. 9:5 and Galatians) and from a few passages in Acts. It is clear that Judas the Galilean had sons because Josephus mentioned the crucifixion of two sons, James and Simon, in Ant. 20.102 and the stoning of another son, Menahem, in War 2.433-434. It is quite probable that Judas also had brothers who helped carry on the movement when he himself was killed.
The Slavonic Josephus also ties the Temple-cleansing Judas to Judas the Galilean, mentioned by Josephus in 6 CE, at the Census of Cyrenius. The Temple-cleansing Judas preached a great reverence for the law and zeal in the face of torture. This is exactly equal to the teachings of Judas the Galilean. So this lone passage tells us that Judas was Judas the Galilean, that he came from a large family with several brothers, and the placement of the text at the Golden Eagle Temple Cleansing brings the "Jesus" movement back a generation, to 4 BCE.
To Matthias and Judas, the Temple was dedicated to the unseen God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But Herod had purposely adorned the Temple with the Golden Eagle, an image of beauty to Herod and his followers, a sign of fealty to Rome and a slap in the face to those who strictly interpreted the Scriptures. After all, did not God command His followers to abstain from idols (Deut. 5:8-9), and did He not punish the children of Israel who fashioned a calf from gold while Moses received the Ten Commandments (Ex. 32). To Matthias, the Golden Eagle was no different than the calf authorized by Aaron. God would surly reward those who destroyed such idols.
The young impressionable students were whipped into frenzy by the seditious teachers. They were convinced that God expected them to rise up against Herod and his graven image of homage to Rome. Such a show of devotion would be richly rewarded not only in this life but in the life to come. In this life each would be remembered as a martyr, bringing fame upon the household. In the life to come, God would honor them with eternal happiness. So, like the martyrs of today, these followers of Matthias and Judas were all too willing to attack the power structure, that being Herod the Great.
In broad daylight, the students brought down the Golden Eagle, crashing it to the ground. But in their enthusiasm, the students were oblivious to Herod's guards, who quickly brought an end to the uprising and imprisoned those caught at the Temple. Included among the prisoners were the authors of the sedition, Matthias and Judas.
A trial of sorts was arranged, but the sentence had already been passed. The prisoners were bound and sent to Jericho awaiting Herod's final decision. Herod was bitter about the whole affair. After all, had he not provided the Jews with a beautiful Temple and the Golden Eagle. This act against the Golden Eagle was no different than an attack upon himself. So there was no doubt in the matter; the prisoners were guilty and deserved death. In a related matter, the high priest with the same name, Matthias, was also punished as a result of this sedition. Reminiscent of Pilate relinquishing power to the mob due to his wife's dream, this Matthias had once before stepped down from his office for a day because of a dream involving sexual relations with his wife. But now he was being permanently replaced by Joazar, who was his wife's brother.
The sentence of death was the expected outcome. Herod had Matthias and his followers burnt alive. Josephus stated in the War that both rabbis were killed, but in Antiquities mentioned only the death of Matthias. What most likely occurred was the execution of the movement's leader, Matthias, and a number of his followers. Those remaining, including Judas, were imprisoned in order to dangle their fate in the face of the seditious. In short, Judas was an insurance policy against any other rebellious acts against Herod. A second powerful motive in imprisoning Judas involved Herod's desire for true mourning at his own death. Josephus stated that Herod planned to kill a great number of people at the time of his death so that there would be mourning throughout Israel. Judas and his followers may have been part of this plan. Either way, it was just a matter of time until Judas would meet the same fate as Matthias.
Judas and his fellow prisoners were spared an eventual death for only one reason: Herod the Great had died (4 BCE), and his insane orders of mass murder were not obeyed. In terms of stability, the death of this tyrannical yet able administrator rocked the country. But it also presented a great opportunity for those who had been persecuted and oppressed for so many years. Herod's death coincided with the Passover feast, a time when pilgrims flocked to Jerusalem to celebrate Israel's deliverance from Egypt. This left Herod's son, Archelaus, with a dilemma: how could he gain firm control of the government without offending the masses?
The crowds sensed that Archelaus was not dealing from strength and that he might be swayed by their desires. They asked if he would ease their annual taxes and remove all taxes related to sales and purchases. These were very serious requests, for a king must have revenues to rule effectively. Even so, Archelaus assented to their will, pretending to agree to these requests. And a segment of the people, those who mourned the death of Matthias, asked one other favor: release those who had been imprisoned by Herod. And once again, Archelaus agreed. Judas was now a free man. (Some argue that Archelaus did not release prisoners as he promised. That may be true for his tax promises, for these promises could only be realized sometime in the future. But the release of prisoners could be made now. Josephus also mentioned that Archelaus replaced the High Priest upon the requests of the crowd. This plea, too, could be accomplished at the present and was therefore acted upon.)
Archelaus soon realized that any concession to the followers of Matthias and Judas was fruitless, for these fanatics could never be won over by friendly intentions. In this, he was correct, for this new movement had no intention of meekly following the Herodian dynasty. In fact, they wished to upset this structure in order to fully implement their theocracy. Predictably, tensions arose and the military slaughter began. Judas escaped with a group of disciples and headed to Galilee, to the city of Sepphoris.
Judas had witnessed the execution of Matthias and many of their students and had just fled from a massacre in Jerusalem. His thoughts must have been upon the security of the small group he now led. In a bold move, he attacked the armory with its large cache of weapons. His followers were now well armed and could defend themselves from all except the army of Archelaus. His reliance upon these weapons of man diminished as he witnessed the awesome power of Rome. Consistent with guerrilla warfare, Judas and his bandit followers blended into the countryside as the Roman army marched upon Sepphoris, burning it to the ground, enslaving all its inhabitants. Surely, this sight hardened Judas against Rome and the Herodian sycophants.
But safety depended upon guile and resourcefulness. The message of fealty to God and refusing to be a slave to human masters (Rome) was transmitted to eager ears throughout Galilee on a small-scale basis. Judas did not draw too much attention to himself by setting up base in any city. Instead, he moved throughout the countryside, always prepared for a quick getaway.
As his popularity grew in Galilee, Judas may have asked his disciples this question: "Who do people think I am?" A teacher, a prophet and the Messiah were the answers. Unlike our heavenly vision of the Messiah, the Jews held that the king or Anointed One was the Messiah. In fact, in this particular era (shortly after the death of Herod the Great in 4 BCE), many warlords and popular teachers were crowned King by their disciples. In this way, Judas was no different. His disciples led the way to Mount Tabor where they anointed Judas King and Messiah. This probably occurred some short time after his release from prison, between 4-2 BCE. Thus, Judas' tenure as Messiah in Galilee lasted anywhere from eight to ten years, depending on his anointment. During this time, Judas widened his appeal among the downtrodden in Galilee, always being careful not to directly engage the authorities.
But an event stirred the pot, where all Jews were affected. The Census of Cyrenius (6 CE) was a means for Rome to separate Judea from its wealth. The Roman Governor, Coponius, was appointed to lend the power of Rome to this taxing situation. At first, the population was outraged. But this opposition soon melted away as the High Priest, Joazar, convinced the people that such a tax was for their own good. In this he may have been correct as the Romans were adept at building and improving the means of transportation throughout the Empire. But to Judas the Galilean, this taxation was nothing other than support for another king, another power. Judas preached that only God was their master, and that the foreigners were merely slave masters. Thus, his opposition to this taxation was direct and to the point. "Whom do you support, God or Rome?"
Judas the Galilean was a clever rabbi, as ascribed by Josephus (War 2.433). In conjunction with his census revolt, Judas sent out a holy man to introduce him to the Jewish nation. In Luke 3:1-3, John the Baptist introduced Jesus to the world. In the Slavonic Josephus, the holy man passage was placed right before this description of Judas the Galilean:
Under his administration [Coponius] it was that a certain Galilean, whose name was Judas, prevailed with his countrymen to revolt; and said they were cowards if they would endure to pay a tax to the Romans, and would, after God, submit to mortal men as their lords. This man was a teacher of a peculiar sect of his own, and was not at all like the rest of those their leaders. (War 2.118) (Emphasis mine)
To Josephus, Judas the Galilean was unlike any other teacher. This same sentiment is evident throughout the Gospel portrayal of Jesus. Note the charge against Jesus in Luke 23:2-5: "And they began to accuse him, saying, 'We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Christ (Messiah), a king.... He stirs up the people all over Judea by his teaching. He started in Galilee and has come all the way here.'" This passage about Jesus of Nazareth was surely a rewrite of Judas the Galilean's ministry.
This was the radical rebel who John the Baptist introduced in 6 CE. The Slavonic Josephus described John as "wild of visage", and his message mirrored that of Judas the Galilean. John called the Jews to freedom stating: "God hath sent me to show you the lawful way, by which you will be rid of [your] many rulers. But there will be no mortal ruling [over you], only the Most High, who hath sent me." (After War 2.110) This was a call for freedom, a warning signal to the ruling elites. John was brought before Archelaus (6 CE), where he was questioned before the experts in the law, and threatened with torture if he did not refrain from his activities. John simply replied: "It is you who should cease from your foul deeds and adhere to the Lord, your God."
Unlike the Gospels, John appeared in 6 CE, before the tax revolt of Judas the Galilean. The Gospel of Luke placed John in 29 CE, many years after Archelaus and the census. Why would there be two completely different chronologies for the introduction of John? The historical story of Judas the Galilean confirms the 6 CE date while the later date of 29 CE is fraught with contradictions, per Chapter 1. The reason is clear for the displacement of John: the early church had to distance itself from the "Jesus" of history or Judas the Galilean. In his place was inserted the Gospel Jesus of Nazareth.
The census was the launching pad for Judas' nationwide campaign. His Kingship in Galilee had been solid, and his reputation was beyond reproach, but not since his brush with death in the Golden Eagle Temple Cleansing had Judas returned to Jerusalem. How long did the tax revolt last and when did Judas once again march on Jerusalem? According to Acts 5:37, Judas' tax revolt was crushed and his followers were scattered. However, this does not square with history or common sense. Josephus never mentioned Judas' death although he did relate the deaths of Judas' sons, Simon and James, by crucifixion, another son's stoning (Menahem) and the death of a grandson at Masada. It is inconceivable that Josephus would have omitted the death of his main character, Judas. This, too, was probably overwritten by early Christians. The lone passage of Jesus in the Antiquities (18.63-64) is an obvious interpolation and comes right when we would expect to read of Judas' death. Thus, my hypothesis is that Judas led his tax revolt from 6-19 CE. (This explains how the movement flourished!) Assuming that Judas was born in 25 BCE (Slavonic Josephus version of the Star of Bethlehem), he would have been captured at the age of 43. This is very interesting considering the Gospel of John said this about Jesus: "You are not yet fifty years old." (John 8:57) This implies that "Jesus" was in his forties, not his thirties as claimed by the traditional timeline. Being in his forties is consistent with Judas the Galilean but not the traditional Jesus of Nazareth.
In 19 CE, the time must have seemed right for action. Judas' popularity soared, and the call against Rome was a strong rallying cry. God would deliver the Jews from the hands of the invaders just as He had done in the days of Judas Maccabee. At this fateful time in history, Judas the Galilean was a middle-aged man, somewhere in his early forties. His ministry had begun at the side of an older mentor and possibly father, Matthias. Like his teacher Matthias, Judas also worked with a lieutenant. He was named Sadduc according to Josephus (Ant. 18.4) and was probably nearly the same age as Judas or even a few years younger. Although age and wisdom went hand-in-hand in Jewish culture, the second-in-command could have been a younger, more vigorous man. Moses chose Joshua, a much younger man, to lead the nation of Israel into the Promised Land. But since Judas was relatively young, a major difference in age would be unlikely.
This question of age is very important as one other figure must also be counted in the equation. James the Just, or the brother of the Lord, would have been between 38-53 years old in 19 CE, most likely the younger brother of Judas. (Tradition says that James was ninety-six years old at his death in 62 CE. Based upon that, James may have been born as early as 35 BCE. This extremely old age of ninety-six may have been an exaggeration, but James was probably an old man at his death, between eighty and ninety-six.) Regardless, the age of James comes much closer to the age of Judas the Galilean than to that of the Gospel Jesus.
The age of Judas is also necessary to compute the approximate ages of his sons and grandsons. If Judas were married at age twenty (4 BCE) and had sons every third year for twelve years, then the ages of Judas' sons in 19 CE would have been twenty-two, nineteen, sixteen and thirteen. The elder two (Simon and James) were crucified under Tiberius Alexander in 47 CE. Their approximate ages would have been fifty and forty-seven. Menahem, the youngest son, was stoned to death in 66 CE, making him approximately fifty to fifty-five years old. A grandson, Eleazar, committed suicide at Masada in 73 CE, making him nearly fifty years old as well. Thus, the dating for the life and times of Judas the Galilean fits perfectly well within the 4 BCE to 19 CE timeframe.
Josephus did not record anything else about Judas directly. But much more can be deduced from other materials about his grandson, Menahem. This Menahem overtook the king's armory at Masada in the same way that Judas had captured the armory at Sepphoris, some seventy years earlier. After the capture of Masada, Menahem marched as king (Messiah) to Jerusalem, where he assumed control for a short while before being murdered. Menahem's actions closely followed the pattern set by Judas. After Judas captured Sepphoris, his disciples proclaimed him king or Messiah. This title he kept, but his influence was centered primarily in Galilee. It was the nationwide census and the arrival of the Roman governors which eventually drove Judas to Jerusalem.
The exact date of Judas' triumphal entry into Jerusalem may be forever a mystery. His nationwide ministry began with the census in 6 CE, but his actions at that point are not so certain. He may have rallied the troops and headed straight to Jerusalem. However, that does not appear to be the modus operandi of that "clever rabbi". He most likely built a large opposition to the census tax by traveling from town to town. This would have taken many years to accomplish. In addition, his movement may have gone beyond the bounds of Israel, even to Rome itself. The history of Josephus is curiously missing data between 7-37 CE, as if someone had purposely expunged his information. But the Roman historian, Tacitus, may help in identifying the date of Judas' death. Between 16-18 CE, in the reign of Tiberius, he wrote: "The provinces too of Syria and Judaea, exhausted by their burdens, implored a reduction of tribute." (1) It appears likely that Judas' movement was having an impact on the nation's attitude towards Roman taxation. Whether or not Judas was still alive at this point may be answered by what was happening in Rome in 19 CE.
There was a debate too about expelling the Egyptian and Jewish worship, and a resolution of the Senate was passed that four thousand of the freedman class who were infected with those superstitions and were of military age should be transported to the island of Sardinia, to quell the brigandage of the place, a cheap sacrifice should they die from the pestilential climate. The rest were to quit Italy, unless before a certain day they repudiated their impious rites. (Tacitus, The Annals ii.85)
For some reason, the Jews were being expelled from Rome, especially those of military age. It is quite probable that the crucifixion of Judas the Galilean had started riots throughout the Roman Empire where Jewish settlements had been infiltrated by those of the Fourth Philosophy. If this were the case, then Judas died in 19 CE. This date also conforms to the dating of the spurious Jesus passage in Antiquities 18.63-64. This may explain why the Fourth Philosophy spread so far. In the New Testament account, Jesus died in 30-33 CE with only 120 disciples remaining (Acts 1:15). From that pathetic beginning, we are to believe that the movement spread throughout the Roman Empire in only a few short years. If, however, Judas the Galilean were active in spreading his message afar from 6-19 CE, either personally or through surrogates, the overall reach of the movement makes sense.
The march into Jerusalem for Judas and his disciples would have been exciting yet foreboding. The belief that God would deliver them from the powerful grip of Rome was a centerpiece of their religion. Josephus plainly stated that these followers of Judas willingly gave their lives rather than worship anyone or anything other than the one true God. Yet, even with this firm system of beliefs, doubts must have entered their minds in those times when silence reigned, in the nighttime or when negative thoughts pervaded their consciousness.
But such thoughts of failure were not uttered aloud. Judas' mission as Messiah would not fail. And it was not at the Passover when Judas entered the city but at the Feast of Tabernacles. Maccoby presents a convincing case that Jesus entered Jerusalem in the fall, at the Feast of Tabernacles. The conflict prophesied by Zechariah (14:16) was to take place at the Feast of Tabernacles. (2) As Jesus supposedly rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, he and his disciples must have been fully aware of the time predicted by Zechariah. It was also at this time that the king was to read a portion of the law relating to his duties at the Temple. Thus, a Temple Cleansing was necessary. So when Judas entered Jerusalem as King, or Messiah, he at once went to the Temple in order to prepare it. This was the second Temple Cleansing by Judas. The first was in 4 BCE in the Golden Eagle Temple Cleansing. This second cleansing was in preparation of the new Kingdom, where God would govern His people. The time for Rome was short.
After this second Temple cleansing, Judas readied himself for the fateful clash with Rome, on the Mount of Olives, as prophesied by Zechariah. Never did Judas believe that God would abandon him. But on the Mount of Olives, Judas and some of his followers were captured. These individuals were crucified under the governorship of Pontius Pilate. Giving their approval were the High Priest, Caiaphas, and his father-in-law, Annas, both active in the crucifixion of Jesus in the Gospels.
It is quite interesting to note that Judas led a Temple Cleansing at the beginning of his mission as did Jesus according to the Gospel of John. The Synoptic Gospels talk of a second Temple Cleansing, of which Judas would have performed as well upon entering Jerusalem, consistent with the actions of his son, Menahem, who cleansed the Temple in 66 CE. In 4 BCE, there was a prisoner release. These prisoners were no doubt associated with the Golden Eagle Temple Cleansing, which was an insurrection in the city. In addition, this prisoner release occurred at the Passover. This is perfectly in-sync with the Gospel account of Barabbas. After this, Judas was proclaimed Messiah in Galilee, just as the Gospels portrayed the ministry of Jesus. Judas' march to Jerusalem was predicated by the census, which was convincingly sold to the masses by the High Priest, Joazar. This Joazar was replaced by Annas in 6 CE, who would then be the major opponent of Judas until Judas' death. That is why the Gospel Jesus was taken first to Annas after the arrest in the Gospel of John. For his efforts, Judas was crucified under Pilate for his refusal to pay taxes to Rome and for being hailed as King. These were the two main charges leveled against the Gospel Jesus.
Even with the death of Judas the Galilean, the Fourth Philosophy grew in number and power. Led by his second-in-command, Sadduc, the movement strengthened. (Sadduc will be examined in Chapter 4.) In Acts chapter 1, the Jesus movement replaced Judas Iscariot with a Matthias, who was never heard from again. In reality, the one who was replaced was Judas the Galilean, not Judas Iscariot. (There was no Judas Iscariot as will be explained in Chapter 17). The person who replaced Judas was his brother, James the Just. This James led the movement until his death by stoning in 62 CE. (See Chapter 5.)
JUDAS, JUDAS THE BANDIT, and JUDAS THE GALILEAN
Many scholars do not believe that Judas the Galilean was the same Judas as was described in the Golden Eagle Temple Cleansing or the Judas who raided the armory at Sepphoris. In War 1.655, Josephus claimed that the rabbis (Matthias and Judas) were put to death, although not mentioning them by name. However, in Ant. 17.167, only Matthias died and it appears as if Judas was imprisoned under Herod and awaited final sentencing. If Judas languished in prison, he was undoubtedly released by Archelaus as part of the Barabbas-style prisoner release in 4 BCE (War 2.4). Once released, Judas went to Sepphoris with his disciples and raided the armory. Later, he was proclaimed Messiah and claimed the nationwide stage at the census in 6 CE. Eventually, he rode into Jerusalem as Messiah and was summarily crucified by Pontius Pilate (19-21 CE) for his refusal to pay taxes to Rome and his claim of being Messiah, or King of the Jews.
There is one scholar who believes that the Golden Eagle Judas may well have been Judas the Galilean. Robert Eisenman, author of James, the Brother of Jesus, writes:
This rabbi [Golden Eagle Judas] is hardly to be distinguished from Judas the Galilean subsequently, even though for Josephus Judas Sepphoraeus, together with another 'rabbi' he calls Matthias (again note the Maccabean names), are burned alive ('being guilty of sacrilege under the pretence of zeal for the law'), while Judas the Galilean goes on functioning and Josephus never does delineate his fate. Josephus (or his sources - this is forty years before Josephus was born), may have been mistaken about this detail, as later in the Antiquities he says only Matthias was burned. Here, Josephus portrays the people as preferring the burning of the rabbis and their followers rather than having 'a great number prosecuted', a point of view echoed in John 11:50's picture of Caiaphas' famous explanation to his fellow Chief Priests about Jesus: 'it profits us more that one man die for the people, rather than the whole nation perish.' (3)
The following passages from Josephus and the Gospels will bring the Temple-Cleansing Judas, the armory-raiding Judas and Judas the Galilean together. This is important because the traditionalist and Mythicist theories of Christianity both see Judas as a one-act wonder. Tying Josephus' three Judas' together gives a fuller picture of this great rabbi, extending his ministry from before 4 BCE through the armory raid in Sepphoris to the census uprising in 6 CE and to Jerusalem and his death in 19-21 CE.
1. Two Gospel references may describe Jesus fleeing from Herod Antipas. "At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, 'Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you.'" (Luke 13:31) And in Matt. 12:1-8, Jesus and his disciples picked heads of grain and ate them on the Sabbath, thus working on the Sabbath. As a defense, Jesus referred his critics to David, who ate consecrated bread while being chased by Saul. Jesus' argument seems to place him in the same position as David, fleeing from the authorities. These two passages may hearken back to Judas escaping his death sentence imposed upon Matthias and forty others. (Ant. 17.149-167) In fact, Judas was probably imprisoned by Herod the Great and then later released in the Barabbas scenario noted earlier. (War 2.4)
Since Herod Antipas was Tetrarch of Galilee from 4 BCE to 39 CE, the references to this Herod do not necessarily put Jesus in a later time frame. The above passages may also describe the efforts put forth by Herod Antipas to capture Judas after his release and retreat from Jerusalem. After all, Judas did break into the armory at Sepphoris, supplying his followers with weapons and whatever money was there. (Ant. 17.271-272) Therefore, Herod Antipas would have been after Judas as well.
2. Josephus mentioned a bandit leader named Judas, who led a rebel group at Sepphoris in Galilee, around 4-2 BCE. This Judas attacked the royal armory and equipped his followers. (Ant. 17.271; War 2.56) The Temple-Cleansing Judas was the son of Sepphoris, per the account in War 1.648. In one instance, Sepphoris was a city, in another, a name. It is quite possible that Josephus mistook a place for a name. This error does link the released prisoner to the bandit, through the city name. Also note that Archelaus released political prisoners to the populace, hoping to atone for his father, Herod the Great. (War 2.4) Judas had been captured with Matthias and was no doubt placed in prison and later released. Shortly after this prison release, Josephus wrote about Judas the bandit. This proximity of events is not clear cut proof but it is circumstantial evidence.
3. The teachings of Matthias and Judas were similar to those of Judas the Galilean. Both were obsessed with following the Law and keeping the Temple pure. They also would gladly die rather than worship idols or Caesars. (Ant. 17.151; Ant. 18.23) Note also that Matthias and Judas cleansed the Temple of an idol, the Golden Eagle, thereby confronting Herod the Great with sedition. In 41 CE, the Jewish fanatics were willing to go to war with Rome if Caligula placed a statue of himself in the Temple. (Tacitus, Histories, v.9) The followers of Hezekiah, Judas the bandit's father or grandfather, also had a presence at the Temple. (Ant. 14.168)
The tie between Judas and Judas the Galilean is assured when we consider the symbolism of the Golden Eagle. Not only did this represent the power of Herod the Great, but its placement in the Temple area was a not too subtle way of paying homage to Rome. (The Eagle was the symbol of Rome.) By tearing down the Golden Eagle, Judas and Matthias were proclaiming war upon Rome. This same mentality was present at the Census of Cyrenius, where Judas the Galilean and Sadduc opposed Roman taxation.
This secure connection is further cemented by the Slavonic Josephus. Additional data concerning the Golden Eagle Temple Cleansing was included in this account. The Golden Eagle was placed in the Temple as an honor to Caesar. In addition, Judas and Matthias patterned themselves after the Maccabees in resistance against a foreign power and in their willingness to die for their cause. (4) This is identical to the Fourth Philosophy of Judas the Galilean.
4. Joazar was the High Priest in 4 BCE during the Golden Eagle Temple Cleansing. (Ant. 17.164) Joazar persuaded the people to accept the Roman taxation of 6 CE which was opposed by Judas the Galilean. (Ant. 18.3) In both cases, the High Priest supported the Roman presence in Judea. Joazar could be considered the Evil Priest of the Dead Sea Scrolls. However, his replacement, Annas (6-15 CE) makes an even better Evil Priest.
5. Matthias and Judas worked as a team. Judas the Galilean also had a second-in-command, Sadduc. (Ant. 17.149; Ant. 18.4) This organizational structure was modeled after the Maccabees. Mattathias and Judas led rebels against the Greek occupiers beginning around 195 BCE. When Mattathias died, his son Simon replaced him. Thus, Judas Maccabee and his brother, Simon, were the leaders of the movement. In the New Testament, Jesus appointed Peter as his second-in-command, although a closer reading of Paul's letters shows that James was the leader and Cephas (Peter) was second-in-command to James. (See Galatians) Sometime after Jesus' death, James and Peter led the Jewish Christian movement. (The Sadduc may have been leading the movement after the death of Judas. Chapter 5 will attempt to identify this shadowy historical figure.) In all the above cases, the movements were led by two men. When one died, the other became leader and a replacement was added to the team.
6. Matthias and Judas were referred to as wise men by Josephus, a high honor indeed. (Ant. 17.155) Judas the Galilean was called a clever rabbi by Josephus in War 2.433. These words of honor are especially important because Josephus opposed Judas the Galilean. Josephus wrote his history for the Romans. However, even though he did not agree with the politics of Judas, he did understand Judas' great influence throughout first-century Judea. There even may have been a touch of admiration for the rebel leader.
7. Judas the Galilean's son, Menahem, broke into King Herod's armory in Masada (66 CE) just as Judas, the bandit, had done in Sepphoris (4-3 BCE). (War 2.433; War 2.56) This definitely links the 4 BCE Judas with the 6 CE Judas the Galilean. And this also proves that Judas the Galilean would have been active at the time of the Golden Eagle Temple Cleansing of 4 BCE.
8. The father, or most likely grandfather, of Judas the bandit, was Hezekias (Ezekias). This Hezekias was put to death by Herod the Great. Hezekias' followers petitioned at the Temple for justice in regards to Herod's actions. Hezekias' followers had a presence in Galilee and in Jerusalem, just as Matthias and Judas in 4 BCE and Judas and Sadduc in 6 CE. In addition, King Hezekiah purified the Temple, so the name Hezekias may hearken back to this as well.
9. Matthias and Judas resembled Mattathias and Judas Maccabee in that both pairs cleansed the Temple and the names were identical. Judas the bandit and Judas Maccabee were both terrible to all men. (Ant. 12.314; Ant. 17.272) And Judas the Galilean and Sadduc were also based upon the Maccabean precedent of a leader and second-in-command.
10. After the death of Matthias and the imprisonment of Judas, their followers petitioned Archelaus for the release of Judas (Barabbas) and for tax relief. (Ant. 17.204-205) Judas the Galilean led his followers in opposing the census tax of Cyrenius. (Ant. 18.1-10) This concern for tax relief is very important. It was one of the cornerstones of the movement. Note also that Jesus was crucified for his refusal to pay taxes to Rome.
CONCLUSION
This short section on Judas the Galilean is based primarily upon the writings of Josephus, the only Jewish historian of the time. The Slavonic Josephus also contributes to the overall picture of this man and his movement. The picture that emerges is quite different from the accepted storyline of Judas as represented in Acts chapter 5. (See Chapter 2 for an analysis of Acts chapter 5.) Judas the Galilean was not a one-hit wonder. His movement lasted from before the Golden Eagle Temple Cleansing in 4 BCE to the last gasp at Masada in 73 CE. His fight against Rome was legendary. How could this history have been lost for two thousand years? How could this powerful rabbi have been reduced to a mere footnote in the history of first-century Judea? These questions will be answered in Part III, but now we will attempt to further explore the history of Judas' movement, starting with the Sadduc.
1. Tacitus, The Annals, ii. 42.
2. Hyam Maccoby, Revolution in Judaea, p. 136.
3. Robert Eisenman, James the Brother of Jesus, p. 252.
4. Slavonic Josephus, After War 1.650.