The Works of Josephus: Complete and Unabridged, New Updated Edition

This is the most valuable secular resource we have for life in First Century Palestine, written by a Jew who had access to materials now lost to history. Don't let the diffiiculties in reading Josephus put you off. The stories, the facts,the whole perspective is immensely fun to digest, and you will become accustomed to the language soon enough. Read for yourself all about the Jewish War and how the Romans eventually destroyed the city of Jerusalem. You will come away with a much deeper knowledge of what went on during the time the Gospels were being written, though of course Josephus does not mention them. Don't settle for secondary sources. This is the primary source for the period. You'll find unbelievable riches here.

That statement is found in Josephus' brief autobiography which prefaces, in this edition, both his Antiquities of the Jews and his Wars of the Jews. He was of noble birth, of the priestly, levitical class. Whiston's translation from the Greek, first appeared in English in 1737. I got my copy from a christian bookstore as I had heard many stories about Josephus from friends, people from my church, and I was finally sold on Josephus when our Israeli guide told several stories from Josephus at various sites when I toured Israel with my church in 2000. His greatest claim to fame for christianity is that he wrote a few sentences about Christ which is our only written record that Jesus Christ was a historical person. (Interesting, shows how superior the Romans were in censorship and surveillance; ever wonder why the Apostle Paul always designated the persons bearing his letters to the churches?) He witnessed and wrote about the destruction of the jews' second temple, he fought the Romans in Galilee, he surrendered to Vespasian who later became Emperor of Rome. Some jews probably look at him as a traitor, since he switched sides as he did. He claims that he had had some sort of directive from G-d to do so, and how fortuitous that was, looking back, because he wrote of significant historical events that are found nowhere else in written records.

For the student of history what could be more compelling than the statements and opinions of a fellow from almost 2000 years ago who considered himself a historian?
This compilation of his works include a variety of his significant literature. One of his books, 'Antiquities' could be considered his version of a modern Bible a paraphase of the 'old testament' meant for the Greek reader without benefit of typical Judaic upbringing. What is most intriguing is the contemporary commentary that he intersperses (such as Adam being called such because he was 'red' [adom being the color red in Hebrew]).
His heart breaking 'Jewish Wars' gives you a real sense of the carnage inflicted upon Jerusalem by the Roman conquest in 70 AD - and the folly of vicious sectarian fighting while a greater enemy was at the gates.
For a much more scholarly and in depth study of Jewish life at this time see Phillip Sigal's 'Foundation of Judaism' series.

This book is a valuable collection to anyone who wants to study ancient history. It is not for an average reader. It is a collection of all the works of Josephus -- a Jewish historian around the late first century AD. The Antiquities of the Jews is my favorite work by Josephus. He starts from Adam and Eve and follows Jewish history all the way to Josephus's time, all the time quoting other ancient historians (most of whose works are lost).

If you are as enthusiastic about ancient history as I am, you would definitely love this collection. The Jewish Wars are full of very descriptive details (much of which is exageration), which make reading the history alot easier than textbooks, but still a little too hefty for someone who is looking for a simple plot to follow.

The index in the back is most useful in finding out where Josephus talks about Jesus or Pontius Pilate or whatever you are looking for. The essays in the back are also useful for the scholar, but very dry reading.

So, if you want to read some Jewish history or even some Roman history, this book would help in your studies. You will also be surprised to find a whole autobiography of Josephus himself -- you'll find out that he wasn't a very brave fellow.

ENJOY!

People spend a great deal of time interpreting scripture, and for good reason. For believers, the Bible is not just a historical document, but the living word of God. Still, as we research scripture, we want to know what life was like in the days of Jesus, and how the people of Jesus' day lived and interpreted scripture so we can better understand scripture in our own day. Perhaps the most important tool for such a task would be the writings of the Jewish historian Josephus.

Josephus himself was an interesting figure. He was born to a well to do Jewish family of the priestly class. He was a religious seeker and studied under the Pharisees and spent some time living an ascetic life. He later developed connections with Rome, and tried unsuccessfully to end the Jewish rebellion. His association with the Romans made him a bit of a turncoat to many people, but his involvement in many spheres of life in the years of the Jewish revolt gave him the opportunity to write a thorough history of his times, understanding the religious, political, and social dimensions of the day. It is largely through the writings of Josephus we understand the world of Jesus' day, and ultimately Jesus himself, even though there is only one questionable reference to Jesus in the writings (modern scholars belive this was probably a patristic insertion or at least a reworking by patristic writers).

This edition of the writings of Josephus is an excellent tool for non-scholarly Biblical study. Whiston's translation has been a standard for years and provides a good translation for preparation for preaching, Bible studies, and people who have an interest in scripture that would be deeper than the interest of a casual reader. I know I have used this volume with Bible study groups over the years, and from time to time research topics in the book for homilies. While there are updates in this edition, this is probably not the best resource for people engaged in scholarly studies, except as a source for background information or a basic familiarity with the historian and his writings. There are newer translations that would be preferred by most instructors on the college level, but for everyday use this volume is a great find at a reasonable price.