Un insospettato caso di pseudepigrafia nel terzo secolo: l'attribuzione del a Flavio Giuseppe

Abstract

ABSTRACT This paper deals with the attribution of the (De universo) to Flavius Josephus. Three sources are considered in order to address the issue of its attribution to the storian: i) Refutatio IX 18-30; ii) a fragment in the Excerpta Constantiniana; iii) a notice by Porphyry in De abstinentia IV 11. An examination of the Refutatio demonstrates that the author was well acquainted with Flavius Josephus taking the notice at Bellum Iudaicum II 119-166 about the Essenes, Pharisees, and Saducees. Is it possible that the author of the Refutatio also used Flavius Josephus when he wrote the De universo? The examination of the Excerpta Constantiniana allows identifying a passage from the Contra Apionem, regarding the antiquity of the Jewish tradition that was re-used in the De universo. Porphyry's De abstinentia IV 11 mentions the Essenes and has been connected with the Contra Apionem in earlier research, even though there is no mention of the Essenes in that work nor can the title “to the Greeks” refer to it. Instead, this notice can be connected with the De universo which was already circulating under the name of Flavius Josephus. This work, in fact, was addressed “to the Greeks”, it was divided into two books, and it probably dealt with the Essenes. It appears that in writing the De universo the author made use of certain passages from Flavius Josephus in that part of the work concerned with Judaism. The attribution of this writing to the Jewish historian is thereby explained. The author of the Refutatio was the schismatic rival of the Roman bishop Callixtus (217-222). Because of this schismatic activity, his works were prudently circulated under the names of other authors. The Refutatio was attributed to Origen, the De universo, on the other hand, was attributed to Flavius Josephus on the basis of the fact that this work had been written with some excerpts from his writings.