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A Roman portrait bust said to be of Josephus
A Roman portrait bust said to be of Josephus

Josephus (37 – sometime after 100),[1], also known as Yosef Ben Matityahu (Joseph, son of Matthias), who became known, in his capacity as a Roman citizen, as Titus Flavius Josephus,[2] was a 1st-century Jewish historian and apologist of priestly and royal ancestry who survived and recorded the Destruction of Jerusalem in 70. Year 37 was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Julian calendar. Citizenship in the time of Ancient Rome was a privileged status afforded to certain individuals with respect to laws property and governance The 1st century was the Century that lasted from 1 to 100 according the Julian calendar. PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ The Siege of Jerusalem in the year 70 AD It was a decisive event in the First Jewish-Roman War, followed by the fall of Masada in 73 Year 70 was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Julian calendar. His works give an important insight into first-century Judaism. Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah, " Judah " in Hebrew יַהֲדוּת Yahedut

Josephus's two most important works are The Jewish War (c. The Wars of the Jews (or The History of the 75) and Antiquities of the Jews (c. Year 75 was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Julian calendar. Antiquities of the Jews ( Antiquitates Judaicae in Latin) was a work published by the important Jewish historian Flavius Josephus about the 94). Year 94 was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Julian calendar. [3] Jewish War recounts the Jewish revolt against Rome (66-70). Antiquities of the Jews recounts the history of the world from a Jewish perspective. These works provide valuable insight into the background of 1st-century Judaism and early Christianity. [3]

Contents

Life

The Galilee, site of Josephus' governorship, in late antiquity.
The Galilee, site of Josephus' governorship, in late antiquity. "Galil" redirects here For the weapon see IMI Galil. Galilee (הגליל ha-Galil, lit the province, Late Antiquity (c 300-600 is a Periodization used by historians to describe the transitional centuries from Classical Antiquity to the Middle Ages, in

Josephus, who introduced himself in Greek as "Iosepos (Ιώσηπος), son of Matthias, an ethnic Jew, a priest from Jerusalem",[4] fought the Romans in the First Jewish-Roman War of 66-73 as a Jewish military leader in Galilee. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ Jerusalem (יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, he-Latn Yerushaláyim; Arabic: ar القُدس, ar-Latn al-Quds) is the Year 66 was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Julian calendar. Year 73 was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Julian calendar. "Galil" redirects here For the weapon see IMI Galil. Galilee (הגליל ha-Galil, lit the province, After the Jewish garrison of Yodfat was taken under siege, the Romans invaded, killing thousands, and the remaining survivors who had managed to elude the forces committed suicide. Yodfat (יודפת is a Moshav shitufi in the Lower Galilee, south of Carmiel, Israel. However, in circumstances that are somewhat unclear, Josephus and one of his soldiers surrendered to the Roman forces invading Galilee in July 67. Year 67 was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Julian calendar. He became a prisoner and provided the Romans with intelligence on the ongoing revolt. The Roman forces were led by Flavius Vespasian and his son Titus, both subsequently Roman emperors. Titus Flavius Vespasianus, commonly known as Vespasian ( November 17 9 &ndash June 23 79) was a Roman Emperor who Titus Flavius Vespasianus, commonly known as Titus ( December 30 39 &ndash September 13 81) was a Roman Emperor who The Roman Emperor was the ruler of the Roman State during the imperial period (starting at about 27 BC In 69, Josephus was released (cf. 69 (sex position & book by Ryu Murakami are -- already linked by "" with other meanings War IV. 622-629) and according to Josephus's own account, he appears to have played some role as a negotiator with the defenders in the Siege of Jerusalem in 70. The Siege of Jerusalem in the year 70 AD It was a decisive event in the First Jewish-Roman War, followed by the fall of Masada in 73 Year 70 was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Julian calendar.

In 71, he arrived in Rome in the entourage of Titus, becoming a Roman citizen and Flavian dynasty client (hence he is often referred to as Flavius Josephus - see below). Year 71 was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Julian calendar. Flavian may refer to Any member of the Flavian dynasty of three Roman rulers of the late 1st-century CE Religious leaders In addition to Roman citizenship he was granted accommodation in conquered Judea, and a decent, if not extravagant, pension. Kingdom of Judea redirects here For the 10th-6th century BCE kingdom see Kingdom of Judah Iudaea ( Hebrew: יהודה Standard It was while in Rome, and under Flavian patronage, that Josephus wrote all of his known works.

Although he only ever calls himself "Josephus", he appears to have taken the Roman nomen Flavius and praenomen Titus from his patrons. By the Republican era and throughout the Imperial era, a Name in Ancient Rome for a male citizen consisted of three parts ( tria See Praenomen (Ancient Egypt for the pharaonic throne name In Roman naming conventions, the praenomen (literally forename [5] This was standard for new citizens.

Josephus's first wife perished together with his parents in Jerusalem during the siege and Vespasian arranged for him to marry a Jewish woman who had been captured by the Romans. Titus Flavius Vespasianus, commonly known as Vespasian ( November 17 9 &ndash June 23 79) was a Roman Emperor who This woman left Josephus, and around 70, he married a Jewish woman from Alexandria by whom he had three male children. Year 70 was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Julian calendar. Alexandria ( Egyptian Arabic: اسكندريه Eskendereyya; Standard Arabic: ar الإسكندرية Al-Iskandariyya; Ἀλεξάνδρεια Only one, Flavius Hyrcanus, survived childhood. Josephus later divorced his third wife and around 75, married his fourth wife, a Jewish girl from Crete, from a distinguished family. Year 75 was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Julian calendar. This last marriage produced two sons, Flavius Justus and Simonides Agrippa.

Josephus's life is beset with ambiguity. For his critics, he never satisfactorily explained his actions during the Jewish war — why he failed to commit suicide in Galilee in 67 with some of his compatriots, and why, after his capture, he cooperated with the Roman invaders. Historian E. Mary Smallwood wrote:

(Josephus) was conceited, not only about his own learning but also about the opinions held of him as commander both by the Galileans and by the Romans; he was guilty of shocking duplicity at Jotapata, saving himself by sacrifice of his companions; he was too naive to see how he stood condemned out of his own mouth for his conduct, and yet no words were too harsh when he was blackening his opponents; and after landing, however involuntarily, in the Roman camp, he turned his captivity to his own advantage, and benefitted for the rest of his days from his change of side. Jotapata (also Yodfat Yodefat Tel Yodfat Iotapata Jodeptah Yotvah Tell Jafat Yotapatha or Jotbah was an ancient fortified Jewish village in the Galilee, north of [6]

However, his critics ignore the fact that Simon Bar Giora and John of Giscala, both extreme zealots and great opponents of Josephus, who stayed in Jerusalem and led the war against Rome in its final stage, in a moment of truth, preferred life over suicide and humbly surrendered to the Romans. Simon Bar Giora (alternatively known as Simeon Bar Giora or Simon Ben Giora or Shimon Bar Giora) was a leader of the Sicarii faction during the John of Giscala ( Yohanan me-Gush Halav) (יוחנן מגוש חלב or Johannes ben Levi (birth date unknown death date after 70) was a leader of the At any rate, those who have viewed Josephus as a traitor and informer have questioned his credibility as a historian — dismissing his works as Roman propaganda or as a personal apologetic, aimed at rehabilitating his reputation in history. More recently, commentators have reassessed previously-held views of Josephus. As P.J. O'Rourke quipped,

Reason dictates we should hate this man. Patrick Jake O'Rourke (born November 14, 1947 in Toledo Ohio) is a conservative American political satirist, journalist But it's hard to get angry at Josephus. What, after all, did he do? A few soldiers were tricked into suicide. Some demoralizing claptrap was shouted at a beleaguered army. A wife was distressed. . . all of which pale by comparison to what the good men did. For it was the loyal, the idealistic and the brave who did the real damage. The devout and patriotic leaders of Jerusalem sacrificed tens of thousands of lives to the cause of freedom. Vespasian and Titus sacrificed tens of thousands of more to the cause of civil order. Even Agrippa II, the Roman client king of Judea who did all he could to prevent the war, ended by supervising the destruction of half a dozen of his cities and the sale of their inhabitants into slavery. For other with this name see Agrippa (disambiguation. Agrippa II (b How much better for everyone if all the principal figures of the region had been slithering filth like Josephus. [7]

Josephus was unquestionably an important apologist in the Roman world for the Jewish people and culture, particularly at a time of conflict and tension. He always remained, in his own eyes, a loyal and law-observant Jew. He went out of his way both to commend Judaism to educated Gentiles, and to insist on its compatibility with cultured Graeco-Roman thought. The term Gentile (from Latin, gentilis, meaning of or belonging to a clan or tribe refers to non- Israelite tribes or nations in the Bible. In modern Olympic and amateur Wrestling, Greco-Roman wrestling is a particular style and variation He constantly contended for the antiquity of Jewish culture, presenting its people as civilised, devout and philosophical. Secular Jewish culture embraces several related phenomena above all it is the Culture of secular communities of Jewish people but it can also include

Eusebius reports that a statue of Josephus was erected in Rome. [8]

Significance to scholarship

A fanciful representation of Flavius Josephus, in an engraving in William Whiston's translation of his works
A fanciful representation of Flavius Josephus, in an engraving in William Whiston's translation of his works

The works of Josephus provide crucial information about the First Jewish-Roman War and are also important literary source material for understanding the context of the Dead Sea Scrolls and post-Second Temple Judaism. William Whiston ( 9 December 1667 &ndash 22 August 1752) was as English Theologian, Historian, and The Dead Sea Scrolls consist of roughly 1000 documents including texts from the Hebrew Bible, discovered between 1947 and 1979 in eleven Caves The Second Temple (בית המקדש romanized 'Beit HaMikdash' meaning 'Holy House' was the reconstructed Temple in Jerusalem which stood between 516 BCE and 70 CE Josephan scholarship in the 19th and early 20th century became focused on Josephus' relationship to the sect of the Pharisees. The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar The twentieth century of the Common Era began on The word Pharisees ( lat. pharisæ|us, - i) comes from the Hebrew פרושים perushim from פרוש parush, meaning "separated" He was consistently portrayed as a member of the sect, but nevertheless viewed as a villainous traitor to his own nation - a view which became known as the classical concept of Josephus. In the mid 20th century, this view was challenged by a new generation of scholars who formulated the modern concept of Josephus, still considering him a Pharisee but restoring his reputation in part as patriot and a historian of some standing. Recent scholarship since 1990 has sought to move scholarly perceptions forward by demonstrating that Josephus was not a Pharisee but an orthodox Aristocrat-Priest who became part of the Temple establishment as a matter of deference and not willing association (cf. Steve Mason 1991).

Josephus offers information about individuals, groups, customs and geographical places. His writings provide a significant, extra-biblical account of the post-exilic period of the Maccabees, the Hasmonean dynasty and the rise of Herod the Great. The Maccabees ( Hebrew: מכבים or מקבים, Makabim or Maqabim; Greek Μακκαβαῖοι, /makav'εï/ were The Hasmoneans (/hæzməˡniən/ חשמונאים Hashmonaiym, Audio were the ruling dynasty of the Hasmonean Kingdom ( 140 &ndash 37 BCE Herod (הוֹרְדוֹס Horodos, Greek: Herōdes) also known as Herod I or Herod the Great (73 BC – 4 BC in Jericho He makes references to the Sadducees, Jewish High Priests of the time, Pharisees and Essenes, the Herodian Temple, Quirinius' census and the Zealots, and to such figures as Pontius Pilate, Herod the Great, Agrippa I and Agrippa II, John the Baptist, James the brother of Jesus, and a disputed reference to Jesus. The Sadducees were members of a Jewish sect founded in the second century BC, possibly as a political party Kohen Gadol or Kohen ha-Gadol ( Heb כהן גדול "Great Priest" is the title of High Priest of early Israelite The Essenes were strictly speaking a Jewish religious group that flourished from the 2nd century BC to the 1st century AD Herod's Temple in Jerusalem was a massive expansion of the Temple Mount and construction of a completely new and much larger Jewish Temple by King Publius Sulpicius Quirinius ( Greek Κυρήνιος - Kyrenios or Cyrenius, c Herod (הוֹרְדוֹס Horodos, Greek: Herōdes) also known as Herod I or Herod the Great (73 BC – 4 BC in Jericho For other with this name see Agrippa (disambiguation. Agrippa I also called the Great (10 BC - 44 AD) King of the Jews, For other with this name see Agrippa (disambiguation. Agrippa II (b Saint John the Baptist ( heb. Jochanan ben Sacharja, arab. يحيى Yaḥyā or يوحنا Yūḥanna, aram. This article is part of the Jesus and history series of articles This article is part of the Jesus and history series of articles Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) He is an important source for studies of immediate post-Temple Judaism (and, thus, the context of early Christianity). Early Christianity is commonly defined as the Christianity of the three centuries between the Crucifixion of Jesus ( c

A careful reading of Josephus' writings allowed Ehud Netzer, an archaeologist from Hebrew University, to confirm the location of Herod's Tomb after a fruitless search of 35 years - on top of tunnels and water pools at a flattened desert site, halfway up the hill to the Herodium, 12 kilometers south of Jerusalem - exactly where it should be according to Josephus writings. Ehud Netzer (אהוד נצר (born 1934 is an Israeli archaeologist and Professor Emeritus at the Institute of Archeology at the Hebrew Herodium or Herodion (הרודיון هيروديون Jabal al-Fraidees) is a hill shaped like a truncated cone (758 m / 2487 ft above

For many years, the works of Josephus were printed only in an imperfect Latin translation from the original Greek. It was only in 1544 that a version of the Greek text was made available, edited by the Dutch humanist Arnoldus Arlenius. Arnoldus Arlenius Peraxylus (c 1510 - 1582 born Arndt or Arnout van Eyndhouts or van Eynthouts, also known as Arnoud de Lens, was a The first English translation appeared in 1602 by Thomas Lodge with subsequent editions appearing throughout the 17th century. However, the 1544 Greek edition formed the basis of the 1732 English translation by William Whiston which achieved enormous popularity in the English speaking world and which is currently available online for free download by Project Gutenberg. William Whiston ( 9 December 1667 &ndash 22 August 1752) was as English Theologian, Historian, and Project Gutenberg, abbreviated as PG, is a volunteer effort to Digitize, archive and distribute Cultural works Later editions of the Greek text include that of Benedikt Niese, who made a detailed examination of all the available manuscripts, mainly from France and Spain. Jürgen Anton Benedikt Niese ( 24 November 1849 &ndash 1 February 1910) also known as Benedict, Benediktus or Benedictus This was the version used by H. St J. Thackeray for the Loeb Classical Library edition widely used today.

Works

A 1640 edition of the works of Josephus translated by Thomas Lodge which originally appeared in 1602.
A 1640 edition of the works of Josephus translated by Thomas Lodge which originally appeared in 1602.

The Jewish War

Main article: The Wars of the Jews

His first work in Rome was an account of the Jewish War, addressed to certain "upper barbarians" – usually thought to be the Jewish community in Mesopotamia – in his "paternal tongue" (War I. Year 99 was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Julian calendar. The Life of Josephus (" Iosepou bios " also called the "Life of Flavius Josephus" is an autobiographical text written by Josephus in The Life of Josephus (" Iosepou bios " also called the "Life of Flavius Josephus" is an autobiographical text written by Josephus in The Wars of the Jews (or The History of the Mesopotamia (from the Greek meaning "land between the rivers" is an area geographically located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers largely corresponding 3), arguably the Western Aramaic language. Aramaic is a Semitic language with He then wrote a seven-volume account in Greek known to us as the Jewish War (Latin Bellum Iudaicum). Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly The Wars of the Jews (or The History of the Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It starts with the period of the Maccabees and concludes with accounts of the fall of Jerusalem, the Roman victory celebrations in Rome, the mopping-up operations, Roman military operations elsewhere in the Empire and the uprising in Cyrene. The Maccabees ( Hebrew: מכבים or מקבים, Makabim or Maqabim; Greek Μακκαβαῖοι, /makav'εï/ were Jerusalem (יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, he-Latn Yerushaláyim; Arabic: ar القُدس, ar-Latn al-Quds) is the Cyrene (in Greek, Κυρήνη &ndash Kurene) was an ancient Greek Colony in present-day Libya, the oldest and most Together with the account in his Life of some of the same events, it also provides the reader with an overview of Josephus' own part in the events since his return to Jerusalem from a brief visit to Rome in the early 60s (Life 13-17). Note Sometimes the ' 60s is used as shorthand for the 1960s, the 1860s, or other such decades in various centuries Events and

Rome cannot have been an easy place for a Jew in the wake of the suppression of the Jewish revolt. Josephus would have witnessed the marches of Titus' triumphant legions leading their Jewish captives, and carrying trophies of despoiled treasure from the Temple in Jerusalem. Etymology The Hebrew name given in Scripture for the building is Beit HaMikdash or "The Holy House" and only the Temple in Jerusalem is referred to by this name He would have experienced the popular presentation of the Jews as a bellicose and misanthropic people.

It was against this background that Josephus wrote his War, and although often dismissed as pro-Roman propaganda (perhaps hardly surprising given where his patronage was coming from), he claims to be writing to counter anti-Judean accounts. He disputes the claim that the Jews serve a defeated god and are naturally hostile to Roman civilization. Rather, he blames the Jewish War on what he calls "unrepresentative and over-zealous fanatics" among the Jews, who led the masses away from their natural aristocratic leaders (like him), with disastrous results. He also blames some of the governors of Judea, but these he presents as atypical Romans: corrupt and incompetent administrators. Thus, according to Josephus, the traditional Jew was, should be, and can be, a loyal and peace-loving citizen. Jews can, and historically have, accepted Rome's hegemony precisely because of their faith that God himself gives empires their power.

Jewish Antiquities

Main article: Antiquities of the Jews

The next literary work by Josephus is his twenty-one volume Antiquities of the Jews, completed in the last year of the emperor Flavius Domitian (between 1. Antiquities of the Jews ( Antiquitates Judaicae in Latin) was a work published by the important Jewish historian Flavius Josephus about the Antiquities of the Jews ( Antiquitates Judaicae in Latin) was a work published by the important Jewish historian Flavius Josephus about the Titus Flavius Domitianus (24 October 51 &ndash 18 September 96 commonly known as Domitian, was a Roman Emperor who reigned from 14 September 81 until his death 9. 93 and 14. For roadways designated 93 see Route 93. For the novel by Victor Hugo see Ninety-Three Year 93 was a Leap year 3. 94, cf. AJ X. 267). He claims that interested persons have pressed him to give a fuller account of the Jewish culture and constitution. Here, in expounding Jewish history, law and custom, he is entering into many philosophical debates current in Rome at that time. Again he offers an apologia for the antiquity and universal significance of the Jewish people.

Beginning with the story of Creation, he outlines Jewish history. Abraham taught science to the Egyptians, who in turn taught the Greeks. Abraham ( Ashkenazi   Avrohom or Avruhom; ابراهيم, {{Unicode|Ibrāhīm}}; Ge'ez: Science (from the Latin scientia, meaning " Knowledge " or "knowing" is the effort to discover, and increase human understanding Ancient Egypt was an Ancient Civilization in eastern North Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now The Greeks ( Greek: Έλληνες) are a Nation and Ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighbouring regions Moses set up a senatorial priestly aristocracy, which like that of Rome resisted monarchy. Moses ( Latin: Moyses,; Greek: grc Mωυσής in both the Septuagint and the New Testament; Arabic: ar موسىٰ The great figures of the biblical stories are presented as ideal philosopher-leaders. Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin There is again an autobiographical appendix defending Josephus' own conduct at the end of the war when he cooperated with the Roman forces.

Against Apion

Josephus' Against Apion is a final two-volume defence of Judaism as classical religion and philosophy, stressing its antiquity against what Josephus claimed was the relatively more recent traditions of the Greeks. Against Apion (or Contra Apionem) was a polemical work written by Flavius Josephus as a defense of Judaism as a classical religion Classical antiquity (also the classical era or classical period) is a broad term for a long period of cultural History centered on the Mediterranean A religion is a set of Tenets and practices often centered upon specific Supernatural and moral claims about Reality, the Cosmos Philosophy is the study of general problems concerning matters such as existence knowledge truth beauty justice validity mind and language Some anti-Judean allegations ascribed by Josephus to the Greek writer Apion, and myths accredited to Manetho are also exposed. Manetho (or Manethon) was an Egyptian Historian and Priest from Sebennytos ( Ancient Egyptian: Tjebnutjer) who

Literature about Josephus

See also

References

Footnotes

  1. ^ Louis H. Feldman, Steve Mason (1999). Flavius Josephus. Brill Academic Publishers.  
  2. ^ Josephus refers to himself in his Greek works as Jōsēpos Matthiou pais (Josephus the son of Matthais). Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly Although Josephus also spoke Aramaic and most probably also Hebrew, no extant sources record his name in these languages. Aramaic is a Semitic language with However, his Hebrew/Aramaic name has gone down in Jewish history as יוסף בן מתתיהו (Yosef ben Matityahu) and thus he is commonly known in Israel today.
  3. ^ a b Harris, Stephen L., Understanding the Bible. Stephen L Harris is Professor and Chair Department of Humanities and Religious Studies at California State University Sacramento. Palo Alto: Mayfield. 1985.
  4. ^ Jewish War I. The Wars of the Jews (or The History of the 3
  5. ^ Attested by the third century Church theologian Origen (Comm. Matt. 10. 17).
  6. ^ Josephus, Flavius, The Jewish War, tr. G. A. Williamson, introduction by E. Mary Smallwood. New York, Penguin, 1981, p. 24
  7. ^ O'Rourke 104.
  8. ^ Ecclesiastical History 3. The Church History (Latin Historia Ecclesiastica or Historia Ecclesiae) of Eusebius of Caesarea was a fourth-century pioneer work giving a chronological 9. 2
  9. ^ O'Rourke, P. J. Give War a Chance. Vintage, 1993.

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