Editing Josephus on Jesus (section)

==== Reconstruction of an authentic kernel ====
[[File:Works Translated by William Whiston.djvu|page=11|thumb|upright=0.5|''The Works of Josephus'', 1879]]
[[Robert E. Van Voorst]] states that most modern scholars believe that the ''{{lang|la|Testimonium}}'' is partially authentic, and has a reference to Jesus.{{sfn|Van Voorst|2003|p=509}} However, he states that scholars are divided on the tone of the original reference and while some scholars believe that it had a negative tone which was softened by Christian interpolators, others believe that it had a neutral tone, in keeping with the style and approach of Josephus regarding the issue.{{sfn|Van Voorst|2003|p=509}} According to Van Voorst, scholars who support the negative reconstruction contend that the reference read something like "source of further trouble in Jesus a wise man" and that it stated "he was the so-called Christ".{{sfn|Van Voorst|2003|p=509}} Van Voorst states that most scholars support a neutral reconstruction which states "Around this time lived Jesus, a wise man" and includes no reference to "he was the Christ".{{sfn|Van Voorst|2003|p=509}} Van Voorst states that if the original references to Jesus had had a negative tone, the Christian scribes would have likely deleted it entirely.{{sfn|Van Voorst|2003|p=509}} Van Voorst also states that the neutral reconstruction fits better with the Arabic ''{{lang|la|Testimonium}}'' discovered by [[Shlomo Pines|Pines]] in the 1970s.{{sfn|Van Voorst|2000|p=97}} Van Voorst states that the neutral reconstruction is supported by the majority of scholars because it involves far less conjectural wording and fits better with the style of Josephus.{{sfn|Van Voorst|2003|p=509}}