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Selections From Josephus

Chapter 2: ABBREVIATIONS
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About This Book

This collection presents excerpts from an ancient historian that combine autobiographical reminiscences, narrative enlargements of biblical episodes, and detailed political history. It traces the erosion of local autonomy under Roman intervention and the administrative rearrangements imposed by imperial authorities. The selections profile Herodian rulers and provincial governors and record incidents involving Roman officials. Passages recount the origins and course of the Jewish War, including sieges and internal factional conflict, while closing reflections consider leadership, tragic outcomes, and the tensions between local traditions and imperial power.

CONTENTS

Introduction 9

Selections 33

I. AUTOBIOGRAPHY

(1) The Boy among the Doctors. His Education (V.) 33

(2) A Shipwreck on the Voyage to Rome. Eve of the War (V.) 34

(3) The Jewish War and its Reception. Criticism of a Rival Historian (Justus) (V.) 35

(4) After the War. Josephus as Roman Citizen (V.) 37

II. SPECIMENS OF AMPLIFICATION OF THE BIBLICAL NARRATIVE

(5) Moses, the Infant Prodigy, introduced to Pharaoh (A. II) 40

(6) Exorcism in the Name of Solomon (A. VIII) 41

(7) Micaiah and Zedekiah Prophesy before Ahab (A. VIII) 42

III. THE COMING OF THE ROMANS

(8) Loss of Jewish Independence. Palestinian Settlement under Pompey (A. XIV) 45

(9) Division of the Country into Five Districts by Gabinius (B. I) 47

(10) Settlement under Julius Cæsar (A. XIV) 47

IV. HEROD THE GREAT

(11) The Youth Herod frees Galilee from the Brigands (A. XIV) 48

(12) Herod on his Trial before the Sanhedrin (A. XIV) 48

(13) Herod and Cassius. Murder of Antipater, Herod’s Father (A. XIV) 51

(14) Antony makes Herod and Phasael Tetrarchs of Judæa (A. XIV) 52

(15) How Herod won his Kingdom (A. XIV) 53

(16) How Herod made his Peace with Augustus (after the Battle of Actium) (B. I) 55

(17) Herod and Mariamne (B. I) 56

(18) Extension of Herod’s Realm. His Popularity with Augustus and Agrippa (A. XV) 57

(19) The Historian’s Reading of Herod’s Character (A. XVI) 58

(20) Reflections on the Tragic Fate of Herod’s Sons (A. XVI) 60

(21) Herod’s Dying Provision for a National Mourning (A. XVII) 63

V. ARCHELAUS AND PILATE

(22) Archelaus in Quest of a Kingdom (A. XVII) 66

(23) Archelaus Deposed and his Territory added to the Roman Province of Syria (A. XVII) 71

(24) The Revolt of Judas “in the days of the enrolment” under Quirinius (A. XVIII) 72

(25) Pilate offends Jewish susceptibilities in the matter of (i) the Emperor’s busts, (ii) the Corban money (A. XVIII) 74

(26) Jesus Christ (A. XVIII) 76

(27) Tiberius expels all Jews from Rome (A. XVIII) 76

(28) Pilate sent to Rome for Trial (A. XVIII) 77

VI. THE LATER HERODS

(29) Herod the Tetrarch, his Marriage with Herodias and Murder of John the Baptist (A. XVIII) 79

(30) How Herod Agrippa became King, and Herod the Tetrarch lost his Tetrarchy (A. XVIII) 81

(31) Petronius and the Statue of Gaius (A. XVIII) 84

(32) Herod Agrippa’s Kingdom enlarged by Claudius (A. XIX) 88

(33) Death of Herod Agrippa (A. XIX) 88

(34) The Story of King Izates and his mother Helena (A. XX) 90

(35) The Fate of the Impostor Theudas and of the Sons of Judas the Galilæan (A. XX) 93

(36) Agrippa II, Felix, and Drusilla (A. XX) 94

(37) The Death of James, “the Lord’s Brother” (A. XX) 95

VII. SCENES FROM THE JEWISH WAR

(38) Introduction to the Jewish War (B. I) 98

(39) Seeds of the War sown under the last of the Procurators. Rise of the Sicarii (B. II) 102

(40) The Immediate Cause of the War. Abrogation of Sacrifices for the Emperor (B. II) 107

(41) Initial Jewish Success. Rout of a Roman Army in the Defiles of Beth-Horon (B. II) 110

(42) Jerusalem before the Siege (B. II) 118

(43) The Fall of Jotapata. Josephus taken Prisoner (B. III) 119

(44) Reception at Jerusalem of the News of the Fall of Jotapata (B. III) 128

(45) Murder of the High Priest Ananus; also of Zacharias after a mock trial (B. IV) 129

(46) How Josephus was Liberated (B. IV) 133

(47) A Roman Reverse inspires false Confidence (B. V) 134

(48) Cessation of the Daily Sacrifice. Josephus appeals to the Jews (B. VI) 135

(49) Conflagration of the Temple (B. VI) 137

(50) Portents and Oracles (B. VI) 141

(51) The Last Scene. Capture of the Upper City. Jerusalem in Flames (B. VI) 145

(52) The Spoils from the Temple in the Triumphal Procession in Rome (B. VII) 147

VIII. THE JEWISH SECTS

(53) The Three Sects and their Views on Fate and Free-Will (A. XIII) 148

(54) The Essenes, with a note on Pharisees and Sadducees (B. II) 148

(55) Another Account of the Three Sects—and a Fourth (A. XVIII) 158

(56) Why John Hyrcanus went over from the Pharisees to the Sadducees (A. XIII) 161

(57) “Conciliate the Pharisees”—Alexander’s dying advice to Alexandra (A. XIII) 164

(58) How the Pharisees rose to power under Queen Alexandra (B. I) 166

(59) Herod exempts Pharisees and Essenes from the Oath of Allegiance. The Essene Prophet Menahem (A. XV) 167

(60) The Pharisees refuse to take the Oath of Allegiance (another account) (A. XVII) 168

IX. JEWISH THEOLOGY, SCRIPTURES AND CUSTOMS

(61) Some Aspects of Jewish Theology. Moses as Religious Educator (Ap. II) 170

(62) A Future Life—for the Law-abiding (Ap. II) 173

(63) The Jewish Scriptures and their Preservation (Ap. I) 174

(64) Universal Imitation of our Laws the sincerest flattery (Ap. II) 177

(65) The Oath “Corban” (Ap. I) 179

Appendix of Additional Notes 180

Table of Dates 204

Index 207

ABBREVIATIONS

The Jewish Antiquities Ant. or A.

The Jewish War (Bellum Judaicum) B.J. or B.

The Treatise Against Apion Ap.

The Life Vita or V.

Schürer, Jewish People in the Time of Jesus Christ (JPTC)

circa (“about” of dates) c.

References, e.g. Ant. XVII. 6.5 f. (171-181). The figures 6.5 f. refer to the older division, found in all editions (Niese’s included), of the books into sections (6 or vi) and subsections (5 and following subsection). The bracketed figures (171-181) indicate the smaller divisions first introduced by Niese.