Titus Flavius Josephus, as a writer and historical figure, sits at the intersection of history. After being captured by Roman forces led by Vespasian, Josephus claimed that the Jewish Messianic prophecies pointed to Vespasian as the future Emperor of Rome. Two years later, Vespasian did become Emperor, and he granted Josephus his freedom. Josephus took on Vespasian’s family name—Flavius—and became a Roman citizen. As a historian, Josephus provided invaluable records of the Jewish War, addressed to the Jews living in Mesopotamia.
Throughout Christian history, the Works of Josephus have been indispensable in helping us reconstruct the history and the world of the New Testament. He writes from a unique position situated among these events: the beginning of Christianity, the evolution of Second Temple Judaism into Rabbinic Judaism with the destruction of the Temple, and the meeting of East and West as the Romans crush the Jewish revolts of 60s and 70s AD.
In this important volume, Louis H. Feldman and Gohei Hata compile essays from world-class scholars examining Josephus’ relationship to the Bible and history. Covering an impressive number of topics from the canon of Scripture to the events of the Hasmonean period between the Old and New Testament, to the causes of the Jewish War that destroyed the Second Temple, Josephus, the Bible and History is an in-depth look at this complex and multifaceted individual. The volume concludes with a selective, critical bibliography for the study of Josephus.
Articles include:
- "Josephus and the Canon of the Bible," by Sid Z. Leiman
- "Josephus' Jewish Antiquities and Pseudo-Philo's Biblical Antiquities," by Louis H. Feldman
- "Josephus' Biblical Text for the Books of Samuel," by Eugene Ulrich
- "Josephus, the Letter of Aristeas, and the Septuagint," by André Pelletier
- "Josephus and I Maccabees," by Isaiah M. Gafni
- "The Role of women in the Hasmonean Dynasty," by Joseph Sievers
- "Josephus and Nicolaus of Damascus," by Ben Zion Wacholder
- "The Sadducees in Josephus," by Günther Baumbach
- "The High Priesthood in the Judgment of Josephus," by Clemens Thoma
- "Josephus and the Revolutionary Parties," by Valentin Nikiprowetzky
- "Josephus and the Economic Causes of the Jewish War," by Shimon Applebaum
- "A Marxist View of Josephus' Account of the Jewish War," by Heinz Kreissig
- "The Forms and Historical Value of Josephus' Suicide Accounts," by Raymond R. Newell
- "The Description of the Land of Israel in Josephus' Works," by Zeev Safrai
- "Josephus Flavius and the Archaeological Excavations in Jerusalem," by Benjamin Mazar
