Josephus IV by Thackeray, J - 1967: Jewish Antiquities Books I - IV

JOSEPHUS, Flavius, soldier, statesman and writer in Greek, was a Jew born at Jerusalem about A.D. 37. A man of high descent, he early made himself learned in Jewish law and Greek literature and became a Pharisee. After pleading in Rome the cause of some Jewish priests he returned to Jerusalem and in A.D. 66 tried to prevent revolt against Rome, managing for the Jews the affairs of Galilee. In the troubles which followed he made his peace with Vespasian. Present at the siege of Jerusalem by Titus, he received favours from these two as emperors and from Domitian and assumed their family name Flavius. He died after A.D. 97. He was a man who lost faith in his country. His chief works are: 'History of the Jewish War', in 7 books, from 170 B.C. to his own time, first written in Aramaic but translated by himself into the Greek we now have; 'Jewish Antiquities' in 20 books, from the creation of the world to A.D. 66; it contains references to John the Baptist and to Jesus. Some minor works are not all genuine. As an historical source, Josephus is invaluable.