12-04-2012, 01:40 AM
Please accept this one in good faith...
The Story from Acts 8 is a very vicious satire written around one "Anicetus", found in Tacitus, _Histories_, Book 3, 47 - 48.
We may begin by possibly identifying "Queen Candace" with Bernice, once married to Polemon, who spent some time with Titus.
That's not the important part.
Vespasian is on his way to Alexandria to gain control of the grain supply, should he have to starve Rome out.
Mucianus, a main character in Acts, has cleared the Pontus of Roman military might, leaving a vacuum. He is on his way to attack Rome.
Anicetus raises troops in this now clear and free Pontus in the name of Vitellius and then attacks Trapezus.
Vespasian sends Virdius Geminus and some troops to take care of bidness.
[29] And the Spirit said to Philip, "Go up and join this chariot."
The chariot is an instrument of war.
Anicetus and his group build boats called Camarae which have no iron fasteners. Compare with Acts when the small boat is lifted onto the deck, secured by ropes. Also see that the last 2 chapters of Acts appear to describe what it was like to be in one of these Camarae boats (and the refugees at the mouth of the...Cohibus).
Here is the important part:
[30] So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and asked, "Do you understand what you are reading?"
[31] And he said, "How can I, unless some one guides me?" And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
[32] Now the passage of the scripture which he was reading was this:
"As a sheep led to the slaughter
or a lamb before its shearer is dumb,
so he opens not his mouth.
[33] In his humiliation justice was denied him.
Who can describe his generation?
For his life is taken up from the earth."
[34] And the eunuch said to Philip, "About whom, pray, does the prophet say this, about himself or about some one else?"
Tacitus, _Histories_, Book 3:
"Hastily fitting out a fleet of Liburnian ships he pursued Anicetus, and overtook him at the mouth of the river Cohibus, where he was protected by the king of the Sedochezi, whose alliance he had secured by a sum of money and other presents. This prince at first endeavoured to protect the suppliant by a threat of hostilities; when, however, the choice was presented to him between war and the profit to be derived from treachery, he consented, with the characteristic perfidy of barbarians, to the destruction of Anicetus, and delivered up the refugees.
"About whom, pray, does the prophet say this, about himself or about some one else?" Ummm...this is about Anicetus himself, who is being double-crossed.
[36] And as they went along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, "See, here is water! What is to prevent my being baptized?"
[37]...
[38] And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.
[39] And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught up Philip; and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. himself:
"...and the eunuch saw him no more...". Of course he saw him no more. He's dead.
On this view, verse 37 would have to be a later addition.
CW
The Story from Acts 8 is a very vicious satire written around one "Anicetus", found in Tacitus, _Histories_, Book 3, 47 - 48.
We may begin by possibly identifying "Queen Candace" with Bernice, once married to Polemon, who spent some time with Titus.
That's not the important part.
Vespasian is on his way to Alexandria to gain control of the grain supply, should he have to starve Rome out.
Mucianus, a main character in Acts, has cleared the Pontus of Roman military might, leaving a vacuum. He is on his way to attack Rome.
Anicetus raises troops in this now clear and free Pontus in the name of Vitellius and then attacks Trapezus.
Vespasian sends Virdius Geminus and some troops to take care of bidness.
[29] And the Spirit said to Philip, "Go up and join this chariot."
The chariot is an instrument of war.
Anicetus and his group build boats called Camarae which have no iron fasteners. Compare with Acts when the small boat is lifted onto the deck, secured by ropes. Also see that the last 2 chapters of Acts appear to describe what it was like to be in one of these Camarae boats (and the refugees at the mouth of the...Cohibus).
Here is the important part:
[30] So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and asked, "Do you understand what you are reading?"
[31] And he said, "How can I, unless some one guides me?" And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
[32] Now the passage of the scripture which he was reading was this:
"As a sheep led to the slaughter
or a lamb before its shearer is dumb,
so he opens not his mouth.
[33] In his humiliation justice was denied him.
Who can describe his generation?
For his life is taken up from the earth."
[34] And the eunuch said to Philip, "About whom, pray, does the prophet say this, about himself or about some one else?"
Tacitus, _Histories_, Book 3:
"Hastily fitting out a fleet of Liburnian ships he pursued Anicetus, and overtook him at the mouth of the river Cohibus, where he was protected by the king of the Sedochezi, whose alliance he had secured by a sum of money and other presents. This prince at first endeavoured to protect the suppliant by a threat of hostilities; when, however, the choice was presented to him between war and the profit to be derived from treachery, he consented, with the characteristic perfidy of barbarians, to the destruction of Anicetus, and delivered up the refugees.
"About whom, pray, does the prophet say this, about himself or about some one else?" Ummm...this is about Anicetus himself, who is being double-crossed.
[36] And as they went along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, "See, here is water! What is to prevent my being baptized?"
[37]...
[38] And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.
[39] And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught up Philip; and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. himself:
"...and the eunuch saw him no more...". Of course he saw him no more. He's dead.
On this view, verse 37 would have to be a later addition.
CW