Flavius Josephus Popular Books

Flavius Josephus Biography & Facts

Flavius Josephus (; Greek: Ἰώσηπος, Iṓsēpos; c. AD 37 – c. 100) was a Roman–Jewish historian and military leader. Best known for writing The Jewish War, he was born in Jerusalem—then part of the Roman province of Judea—to a father of priestly descent and a mother who claimed royal ancestry. He initially fought against the Roman Empire during the First Jewish–Roman War as general of the Jewish forces in Galilee, until surrendering in AD 67 to the Roman army led by military commander Vespasian after the six-week siege of Yodfat. Josephus claimed the Jewish messianic prophecies that initiated the First Jewish–Roman War made reference to Vespasian becoming Roman emperor. In response, Vespasian decided to keep him as a slave and presumably interpreter. After Vespasian became emperor in AD 69, he granted Josephus his freedom, at which time Josephus assumed the Emperor's family name of Flavius.Flavius Josephus fully defected to the Roman side and was granted Roman citizenship. He became an advisor and friend of Vespasian's son Titus, serving as his translator when Titus led the siege of Jerusalem in 70 AD. Since the siege proved ineffective at stopping the Jewish revolt, the city's pillaging and the looting and destruction of Herod's Temple (the Second Temple) soon followed. Josephus recorded the Great Jewish Revolt (AD 66–70), including the siege of Masada. His most important works were The Jewish War (c. 75) and Antiquities of the Jews (c. 94). The Jewish War recounts the Jewish revolt against Roman occupation. Antiquities of the Jews recounts the history of the world from a Jewish perspective for an ostensibly Greek and Roman audience. These works provide valuable insight into first-century Judaism and the background of Early Christianity. Josephus's works are the chief source next to the Bible for the history and antiquity of ancient Israel, and provide a significant and independent extra-Biblical account of such figures as Pontius Pilate, Herod the Great, John the Baptist, James, brother of Jesus, and possibly Jesus of Nazareth. Biography Josephus was born into one of Jerusalem's elite families. He was the second-born son of Matthias, a Jewish priest. His older full-blooded brother was also, like his father, called Matthias. Their mother was an aristocratic woman who was descended from the royal and formerly ruling Hasmonean dynasty. Josephus's paternal grandparents were a man also named Josephus and his wife—an unnamed Hebrew noblewoman—distant relatives of each other. Josephus's family was wealthy. He descended through his father from the priestly order of the Jehoiarib, which was the first of the 24 orders of priests in the Temple in Jerusalem. Josephus was a descendant of the High Priest of Israel Jonathan Apphus. He was raised in Jerusalem and educated alongside his brother.In his mid twenties, he traveled to negotiate with Emperor Nero for the release of some Jewish priests. Upon his return to Jerusalem, at the outbreak of the First Jewish–Roman War, Josephus was appointed the military governor of Galilee. His arrival in Galilee, however, was fraught with internal division: the inhabitants of Sepphoris and Tiberias opted to maintain peace with the Romans; the people of Sepphoris enlisted the help of the Roman army to protect their city, while the people of Tiberias appealed to King Agrippa's forces to protect them from the insurgents.Josephus also contended with John of Gischala who had also set his sight over the control of Galilee. Like Josephus, John had amassed to himself a large band of supporters from Gischala (Gush Halab) and Gabara, including the support of the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem. Meanwhile, Josephus fortified several towns and villages in Lower Galilee, among which were Tiberias, Bersabe, Selamin, Japha, and Tarichaea, in anticipation of a Roman onslaught. In Upper Galilee, he fortified the towns of Jamnith, Seph, Mero, and Achabare, among other places. Josephus, with the Galileans under his command, managed to bring both Sepphoris and Tiberias into subjection, but was eventually forced to relinquish his hold on Sepphoris by the arrival of Roman forces under Placidus the tribune and later by Vespasian himself. Josephus first engaged the Roman army at a village called Garis, where he launched an attack against Sepphoris a second time, before being repulsed. At length, he resisted the Roman army in its siege of Yodfat (Jotapata) until it fell to the Roman army in the lunar month of Tammuz, in the thirteenth year of Nero's reign. After the Jewish garrison of Yodfat fell under siege, the Romans invaded, killing thousands; the survivors committed suicide. According to Josephus, he was trapped in a cave with 40 of his companions in July 67 AD. The Romans (commanded by Flavius Vespasian and his son Titus, both subsequently Roman emperors) asked the group to surrender, but they refused. According to Josephus's account, he suggested a method of collective suicide; they drew lots and killed each other, one by one, and Josephus happened to be one of two men that were left who surrendered to the Roman forces and became prisoners. In 69 AD, Josephus was released. According to his account, he acted as a negotiator with the defenders during the siege of Jerusalem in 70 AD, during which time his parents were held as hostages by Simon bar Giora.While being confined at Yodfat (Jotapata), Josephus claimed to have experienced a divine revelation that later led to his speech predicting Vespasian would become emperor. After the prediction came true, he was released by Vespasian, who considered his gift of prophecy to be divine. Josephus wrote that his revelation had taught him three things: that God, the creator of the Jewish people, had decided to "punish" them; that "fortune" had been given to the Romans; and that God had chosen him "to announce the things that are to come". To many Jews, such claims were simply self-serving.In 71 AD, he went to Rome as part of the entourage of Titus. There, he became a Roman citizen and client of the ruling Flavian dynasty. In addition to Roman citizenship, he was granted accommodation in the conquered Judaea and a pension. While in Rome and under Flavian patronage, Josephus wrote all of his known works. Although he only ever calls himself "Josephus" in his writings, later historians refer to him as "Flavius Josephus", confirming that he adopted the nomen Flavius from his patrons, as was the custom amongst freedmen.Vespasian arranged for Josephus to marry a captured Jewish woman, whom he later divorced. Around the year 71, Josephus married an Alexandrian Jewish woman as his third wife. They had three sons, of whom only Flavius Hyrcanus survived childhood. Josephus later divorced his third wife. Around 75, he married his fourth wife, a Greek Jewish woman from Crete, who was a member of a distinguished family. They had two sons, Flavius Justus and Flavius Simonides Agrippa. Josephus's life story remains ambiguous. He was described b.... Discover the Flavius Josephus popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Flavius Josephus books.

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  • The War of the Jews synopsis, comments

    The War of the Jews

    Flavius Josephus

    In The Wars of the Jews Flavius Josephus gives us valuable insight into the first Jewish Roman War and the rebellions that followed thereafter. Josephus having been an agent for bo...

  • Flavius Josephus synopsis, comments

    Flavius Josephus

    Flavius Josephus

    Titus Flavius Josephus (37 – c. 100), born Joseph ben Matityahu, was a firstcentury RomanoJewish scholar, historian and hagiographer, who was born in Jerusalem. He fought against t...

  • The Collected Works of Flavius Josephus synopsis, comments

    The Collected Works of Flavius Josephus

    Flavius Josephus

    This comprehensive eBook presents the complete works or all the significant works the Œuvre of this famous and brilliant writer in one ebook 4755 pages easytoread and easytonavi...

  • The Complete Josephus synopsis, comments

    The Complete Josephus

    Titus Flavius Josephus

    Titus Flavius Josephus, also called Joseph ben Matityahu, was a 1stcentury RomanoJewish historian who was born in Jerusalem then part of Roman Judea to a father of priestly desce...

  • The Life of Flavius Josephus synopsis, comments

    The Life of Flavius Josephus

    Flavius Josephus

    With centuries of literature, it's inevitable that some will fall through the cracks. We hunt down public domain works and restore them so they're not lost to the world. Who are w...

  • Selections From Titus Flavius Josephus synopsis, comments

    Selections From Titus Flavius Josephus

    Titus Flavius Josephus

    Josephus, son of Matthias the priest, and on his mother’s side claiming descent from the royal Hasmonæan houseor Flavius Josephus, to give him the name which he adopted out of grat...

  • Flavius Josephus Against Apion synopsis, comments

    Flavius Josephus Against Apion

    Flavius Josephus

    Flavius Josephus Against Apion by Flavius Josephus Josephus was born Joseph ben Mattathias in 37 C.E. in Jerusalem of a priestly and royal family. He excelled in his studies of Jew...

  • The Life of Flavius Josephus synopsis, comments

    The Life of Flavius Josephus

    Flavius Josephus

    Now, my father Matthias was not only eminent on account of is nobility, but had a higher commendation on account of his righteousness, and was in great reputation in Jerusalem, the...

  • The Life of Flavius Josephus or Autobiography of Flavius Josephus synopsis, comments

    The Life of Flavius Josephus or Autobiography of Flavius Josephus

    Flavius Josephus, William Whiston (Translator)

    Complete interlinked edition. Navigate easily to any book from Table of Contents or search for the words or phrases. Includes contemporary maps, timelines, family trees, coinage, a...

  • The Antiquities of the Jews, all seven volumes in a single file synopsis, comments

    The Antiquities of the Jews, all seven volumes in a single file

    Flavius Josephus

    A history of the Jewish people up until the Roman conquest and destruction of Jerusalem. The Preface begins: "Those who undertake to write histories, do not, I perceive, take that...

  • The Complete Works of Flavius Josephus synopsis, comments

    The Complete Works of Flavius Josephus

    Flavius Josephus

    This meticulously edited collection has been formatted for your eReader with a functional and detailed table of contents: The War of the Jews The Antiquities of the Jews Against Ap...

  • The Life Of Flavius Josephus synopsis, comments

    The Life Of Flavius Josephus

    Flavius Josephus

    The Life Of Flavius Josephus by Flavius Josephus Titus Flavius Josephus was a firstcentury RomanoJewish scholar, historian and hagiographer, who was born in Jerusalemthen part of R...

  • A History of the Jewish People in the Time of Jesus Christ synopsis, comments

    A History of the Jewish People in the Time of Jesus Christ

    Emil Schürer

    This book reviews an oftenforgotten aspect of history, that is, the culture, beliefs, politics, and events in the Jewish community several centuries before and after the life of Je...

  • The Life of Flavius Josephus synopsis, comments

    The Life of Flavius Josephus

    Josephus

    The Life of Flavius Josephus Josephus, firstcentury RomanoJewish scholar, historian and hagiographer(37100AD) This ebook presents «The Life of Flavius Josephus», from Josephus. A d...

  • A Jew Among Romans synopsis, comments

    A Jew Among Romans

    Frederic Raphael

    From the acclaimed biographer, screenwriter, and novelist Frederic Raphael, here is an audacious history of Josephus (37–c.100), the Jewish general turned Roman historian, whose em...

  • Selected Works of Flavius Josephus synopsis, comments

    Selected Works of Flavius Josephus

    Flavius Josephus

    Now as to Hades, wherein the souls of the of the good things they see, and rejoice in the righteous and unrighteous are detained, it is necessary to speak of it. Hades is a place i...

  • The Life of Flavius Josephus synopsis, comments

    The Life of Flavius Josephus

    Flavius Josephus

    The family from which I am derived is not an ignoble one, but hath descended all along from the priests; and as nobility among several people is of a different origin, so with us t...

  • Works of Josephus Flavius synopsis, comments

    Works of Josephus Flavius

    Flavius Josephus, William Whiston (Translator)

    Complete interlinked edition. Navigate easily to any book from Table of Contents or search for the words or phrases. Includes contemporary maps, timelines, family trees, coinage,...

  • The Sword of Attila synopsis, comments

    The Sword of Attila

    David Gibbins

    AD 439: The Roman Empire is on the brink of collapse. With terrifying speed a Vandal army has swept through the Roman provinces of Spain and North Africa, conquering Carthage and...

  • THE LIFE OF FLAVIUS JOSEPHUS synopsis, comments

    THE LIFE OF FLAVIUS JOSEPHUS

    Flavius Josephus

    The family from which I am derived is not an ignoble one, but hath descended all along from the priests; and as nobility among several people is of a different origin, so with us t...

  • The Life of Flavius Josephus synopsis, comments

    The Life of Flavius Josephus

    Flavius Josephus

    The Life of Flavius Josephus, also called the "Life of Flavius Josephus", or simply Vita, is an autobiographical text written by Josephus in approximately 9499 CE where the author ...

  • King Solomon the Magus synopsis, comments

    King Solomon the Magus

    Claude Lecouteux

    Explores the schools of Solomonic magic around the world and works such as The Greater and Lesser Keys of Solomon the King and The Hygromancy of Solomon Examines Solomon’s magica...

  • The Collected Works of Flavius Josephus synopsis, comments

    The Collected Works of Flavius Josephus

    Flavius Josephus

    The Collected Works of Flavius Josephus is a collection of classic works by one of the most popular writers in history. The included works of Flavius Josephus are Against Apion, An...

  • The History of the Destruction of Jerusalem synopsis, comments

    The History of the Destruction of Jerusalem

    Flavius Josephus

    Whereas the war which the Jews made with the Romans hath been the greatest of all those, not only that have been in our times, but, in a manner, of those that ever were heard of; b...

  • The Life of Flavius Josephus, Against Apion, and An Extract Concerning Hades synopsis, comments

    The Life of Flavius Josephus, Against Apion, and An Extract Concerning Hades

    Flavius Josephus

    Within this collection of Josephus' shorter works, the life and thoughts of this firstcentury Jewish historian and Roman citizen unfold in an informative, methodical way. The a...

  • The Complete Works of Flavius Josephus. Illustrated synopsis, comments

    The Complete Works of Flavius Josephus. Illustrated

    Flavius Josephus

    Flavius Josephus was a firstcentury RomanoJewish historian, best known for The Jewish War and Antiquities of the Jews. He initially fought against the Romans during the First Jewis...

  • Works of Flavius Josephus synopsis, comments

    Works of Flavius Josephus

    Flavius Josephus

    According to Wikipedia: "Josephus (37 – c.100 AD/CE), also Yoseph Ben Mattithyahu in Biblical Hebrew (Joseph son of Matthias) and Titus Flavius Josephus[3] was a 1stcentury RomanoJ...

  • The Life of Flavius Josephus synopsis, comments

    The Life of Flavius Josephus

    Flavius Josephus & William Whiston

    The autobiographical text The Life of Josephus is a text written by Flavius Josephus around 94 to 99 BC. The commander of a Jewish insurgency who was captured by the Roman in 67 BC...

  • The Life of Flavius Josephus synopsis, comments

    The Life of Flavius Josephus

    Flavius Josephus

    This book is perfectly adapted and layout for a pleasant reading on a tablet, smartphone or computer. To improve your reading experience, this digital version has been edited and f...

  • The Life of Flavius Josephus synopsis, comments

    The Life of Flavius Josephus

    Flavius Josephus

    The family from which I am derived is not an ignoble one, but hath descended all along from the priests; and as nobility among several people is of a different origin, so with us t...

  • The Works of Flavius Josephus synopsis, comments

    The Works of Flavius Josephus

    Josephus

    The Works of Flavius Josephus by Josephus,  tr. by William Whiston  Josephus was born Joseph ben Mattathias in 37 C.E. in Jerusalem of a priestly and royal family. He exc...

  • 5 Books By Flavius Josephus synopsis, comments

    5 Books By Flavius Josephus

    Flavius Josephus

    Against Apion The Antiquities of the Jews Josephus's Discourse to The Greeks Concerning Hades The Wars of the Jews The Life of Flavius Josephus