Theudas

In Acts 5:36 Gamaliel says, "For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be

somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred joined him, but he was killed, and all

who followed him were dispersed and disappeared.

But Josephus also mentions a Theudas:

During the period when Fadus was procurator of Judaea, a certain impostor named

Theudas persuaded the majority of the masses to take up their possessions and to follow

him to the Jordan River. He stated that he was a prophet and that at his command the river

would be parted and would provide them an easy passage. With this talk he deceived

many. Fadus, however, did not permit them to reap the fruit of their folly, but sent against

them a squadron of cavalry. These fell upon them unexpectedly, slew many of them and

took many prisoners. Theudas himself was captured, whereupon they cut off his head and

brought it to Jerusalem. (Ant. 20:98-99)

The problem is that Luke has Theudas die long before the Theudas mentioned by

Josephus. The name Theudas, in that form, is very rare, so it is considered unlikely that

there were two Theudases. This represents perhaps the most significant argument against

the historical reliability of Acts.

However, we will now argue that it is not such a big coincidence to find two impostors

bearing the name "Theudas".

Firstly, this is not an unlikely name for a prophet or messianic pretender to take. Theudas

in an abbreviated form of the name Theodotus or Theodosius, meaning Gift of God. This is

just the sort of name that we would expect such prophets to take, and there seems to have

been a tendency for prophets and messiah-types to take new names. Luke's Theudas

claimed "to be somebody" and what better way to make such a claim than to take the

name Gift of God? If Luke's Theudas did indeed receive his name in this way, it would

explain why Josephus does not mention him by that name. He may appear in Josephus

under his other name. For example, Luke's Theudas may be the insurgent Simon (Bell.

2.4.2, Ant. 17.10.6).

Secondly, we must reckon with the possibility that Josephus's Theudas inherited the name

of the earlier Theudas. The later man may have modeled himself on the earlier character, or

even considered himself to have been the earlier Theudas returned.

We should therefore not be surprised to find two prophets or messianic claimants called

Theudas. The original Theudas may well have taken the name because of its meaning. The

second Theudas, assuming that there were two, probably took the name of the earlier man.