Josephus the jewish war penguin review

Bibliography and Reviews:

The books mentioned elsewhere on the Flavius Josephus web site are listed here, together with many other useful works. To find a specific author or title, use the Find function on your web browser menu to find that word on this page. I include here reviews or summaries of some of the works; I will add more over time. The scholarly literature on Josephus is massive. The best bibliography on the whole of these works is Louis Feldman's Josephus and Modern Scholarship. Unfortunately it is expensive, but if you can find a copy in the library you will be well rewarded. - G. J. Goldberg Flavius Josephus Home Page

Many of these can be found in your local public or university library. You can also purchase many of these books now from Amazon.com. Click on the order link next to the book title to go to Amazon's page for the book.

Editions of the Complete Works of Josephus

The Works of Josephus

Translated by William Whiston

William Whiston, professor of mathematics at Cambridge, published his translation of all of Josephus' works in 1737. It proved to be very popular, supplanting previous English translations by Thomas Lodge and Roger L'Estrange. There have been many editions of Whiston over the past 260 years.

While Whiston's is the only single-volume translation widely available, its now-antiquated English can be unpleasant for modern readers. (See my note on the translations on this web site.) Moreover, it is based on Greek manuscripts that are now not considered the best. For those seeking a better (and much more expensive) translation, see the Loeb Edition. A new translation is being prepared by the Josephus Project.

Hendrickson Publishers

I recommend the Hendrickson edition of Josephus.. It has been re-typeset into a clearer font than previous editions, and best of all it includes the section-by-section numbering system which has been available only in the more expensive Loeb editions. With this numbering system one can easily find and refer to particular sentences, rather than whole chapters. It has a good index which unfortunately is marred by typographical errors in the reference numbers, often getting the chapter and paragraph correct but identifying the wrong book.

Hendrickson Publishers Paperback Updated edition (May 1995) Order

There is also a hardcover edition:

Hardcover - 926 pages New update edition (December 1988) ISBN: 0913573868 Order

Kregel Publications

The Kregel edition, whose cover is shown here, has been the standard for the past twenty years. Some may prefer the denser text of these pages than that of the Hendrickson.

Kregel Publications; ISBN: 082542951X Hardcover (December 1974) Order

Thomas Nelson

There are new editions from Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Hardcover - 1200 pages (January 1999) ISBN: 0785214275 Order

Paperback (January 1999) Not Yet Available

And there is now a version on CD-ROM:

The Complete Works of Philo & Josephus CD-ROM Logos Research Systems Inc.; ISBN: 1577991923 Order

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The Loeb Classical Library

Harvard University Press

The multi-volume Loeb edition contains the complete text of Josephus' works in the original Greek with an English translation on facing, with copious footnotes. It is the standard edition in English for scholarly study of Josephus. The last volume of the Antiquities, Book XX, has an excellent index. For more information, see the Loeb Classical Library web site. Warning! The purchaser should be careful to note the contents of each volume purchased,, in that the books of Josephus have been divided differently among the volumes over the years. At one time there were nine volumes, but in the latest printing there are thirteen.

The Life and Against Apion (Loeb Classical Library, 186) Translated by H. St. John Thackeray ISBN: 067992059 Order

The Jewish War : Books I-II (Loeb Classical Library, 203) Translated by H. St. John Thackeray Hardcover (January 1927) ISBN: 0674992237 Order

The Jewish War, Books III-IV (Loeb Classical Library, 487) Translated by H. St. John Thackeray ISBN: 0 674 99536 8

The Jewish War, Books V-VII (Loeb Classical Library, 210) Translated by H. St. John Thackeray Hardcover - 488 pages (January 1927; 1997) Harvard Univ Pr; ISBN: 0674995694 Order

Jewish Antiquities, Books I-IV (Loeb Classical Library, 242) Translated by H. St. John Thackeray Hardcover (1930; June 1967) Harvard Univ Pr; ISBN: 0674992679

Jewish Antiquities, Books V-VIII (Loeb Classical Library, 281) Translated by H. St. John Thackeray and Ralph Marcus Hardcover (1934, 1988) ISBN: 0674993101 Order

Jewish Antiquities, Books IX-XI (Loeb Classical Library, 326) Translated by Ralph Marcus Hardcover (1937, 1995) ISBN: 0674993608 Order

Jewish Antiquities, Books XII-XIV (Loeb Classical Library, 365 ) Translated by Ralph Marcus Hardcover (1933, 1986) ISBN: 0674994027 Order

Jewish Antiquities, Books XV-XVII (Loeb Classical Library, 410 ) Translated by Ralph Marcus and Allen Wikgren Hardcover (1963, 1990) ISBN: 0674994515 Order

Jewish Antiquities, Books XVIII-XIX (Loeb Classical Library, 433 ) Translated by L. H. Feldman Hardcover (1965) ISBN: 0674994779

Jewish Antiquities, Book XX (Loeb Classical Library, 456 ) Translated by L. H. Feldman Hardcover (1965, 1981) ISBN: 0674995023 Order

The 1998 printings of the Jewish Antiquities are divided as follows:

BOOKS I-III (LCL 242) ISBN: 0 674 99575 9 BOOKS IV-VI (LCL 490) ISBN: 0 674 99539 2 BOOKS VII-VIII (LCL 281) BOOKS IX-XI (LCL 326) ISBN: 0 674 99360 8 BOOKS XII-XIII (LCL 365) ISBN: 0 674 99577-5 BOOKS XIV-XV (LCL 489) ISBN: 0 674 99538 4 BOOK XVI-XVII (LCL 410) ISBN: 0 674 99578 3 BOOKS XVIII-XIX (LCL 433) ISBN: 0 674 99477 9 BOOK XX (LCL 456) ISBN: 0 674 99502 3

Condensed Versions of Josephus

Penguin Classics

A lively translation and modest condensation of the Jewish War makes the Penguin Classics edition an excellent introduction to Josephus. I recommend it.

The Jewish War The Penguin Classics

7. A. Williamson (Translator), E. Mary Smallwood (Photographer) Paperback - 511 pages Reissue edition (April 1984) Viking Pr; ISBN: 0140444203 Order

Josephus, the Essential Works : A Condensation of Jewish Antiquities and the Jewish War Paul L. Maier (Editor) Hardcover (December 1995) Kregel Publications; ISBN: 082543260X Order

Josephus : The Essential Writings Paul L. Maier (Editor Paperback (July 1990) Kregel Publications; ISBN: 0825429641 Order

The Topical Josephus; Historical Accounts That Shed Light on the Bible by Cleon L. Rogers Paperback - 238 pages (December 1992) Zondervan Publishing Company; ISBN: 0310230179 Order

Josephus Studies

Josephus and the New Testament by Steve Mason Paperback - 248 pages (September 1993) Hendrickson Publishers, Inc.; ISBN: 0943575990 Order

Steve Mason's introduction to the relation between Josephus and the New Testament has become the standard work on the subject. It covers the intersection of the environments of Josephus and the gospel writers, New Testament figures in Josephus, and original research by Mason on the relation between the speeches in Acts and the speeches reported in the Jewish War.

Josephus, Judaism and Christianity by Louis H. Feldman, Gohei Hata Paperback (November 1987) Wayne State Univ Pr; ISBN: 0814318320 Order

Josephus, the Bible and History by Louis Feldman (Editor), Gohei Hata (Editor) Paperback - 474 pages (January 1989) Wayne State Univ Pr; ISBN: 0814319831 Order

These two collections edited by Feldman and Hata provide a wide array of articles focused on aspects of Josephus. A very stimulating set and a great bargain.

Josephus : The Man and the Historian by H. St. John Thackery Hardcover Revised edition (February 1968) Ktav Publishing House; ISBN: 087068115X Order

The Brill Josephus Project ed. Steve Mason

> The first comprehensive commentary on the works of Josephus. Volumes will appear over the course of several years starting in 2000. For more information see www.brill.nl or editor Steven Mason's Brill Josephus Project page.

Josephus's Interpretation of the Bible (Hellenistic Culture and Society, No 27) by Louis H. Feldman Hardcover - 750 pages (December 1998) University of California Press; ISBN: 0520208536 Order

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Flavius Josephus between Jerusalem and Rome : his life, his works and their importance by Per Bilde Sheffield Academic Press (1988), ISBN: 1850750602

This overview of Josephus analyzes his works in new ways and also serves as a review of modern scholarship on Josephus. A highlight of the book is the study of changing fashions in the scholarly and popular opinion of Josephus' character. Concerning this, Bilde introduces the concept of the "classical conception of Josephus," flourishing the greatest in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, which pictured Josephus as weak in character and incapable as a historian; and against this Bilde identifies the "modern conception of Josephus" which views him as a skilled author sincere in his descriptions of himself and his times. Also discussed is evidence for Josephus' reliability as a historian and how his works can be used in a variety of disciplines.

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Josephus : The Historian and His Society by Tessa Rajak ASIN: 0800607171

This study of Josephus' life and environment has become one of the standard studies of Josephus. It covers Josephus as a writer in Greek and Aramaic and his participation in and interpretation of revolution and civil war in Judea and Galilee.

Order

Josephus in Galilee and Rome : his vita and development as a historian by Shaye J. D. Cohen ASIN: 9004059229

Flavius Josephus and Flavian Rome edited by Jonathan Edmondson, Steve Mason, and James Rives (Oxford, 2005)

A collection of essays considering the influence of the city of Rome on Josephus's writing, and of Josephus' effect on his Roman contemporaries. The essays are gathered into three broad topics: "Josephus in the social and political context of Flavian Rome", "The impact of the Jewish war in Flavian Rome", and "Josephus: Literature and historiography in Flavian Rome."

The Jewish Revolts against Rome, A.D. 66-135: A Military Analysis by James. J. Bloom Published by McFarland (June 17, 2010) ISBN: 978-0786444793 This analytical history focuses objectively on the military aspects of all three Judean uprisings. The events leading up to each rebellion are detailed, while the nine appendices cover such topics as the nature and number of the Jewish rebels and the factual reliability of the controversial Josephus.

Flavius Josephe by Denis Lamour Les Belles Lettres (Paris, Feb 2000) In French; 144 pages

An introduction to Josephus and his works for the French-speaking public. In Denis Lamour's words, "After a biographic summary, I attempt to explain Josephus' view of history and the importance of his works in Jewish historiography. I argue that Josephus' big mistake is to have written his Life." It can be ordered at http://www.alapage.com.

Josephus and History of the Greco-Roman Period : Essays in Memory of Morton Smith (Studia Post Biblica, 41) by F. Parente (Editor), J. Sievers (Editor) Hardcover (August 1997) Brill Academic Publishers; ISBN: 9004101144 Order

Prophetic Figures in Late Second Temple Jewish Palestine : The Evidence from Josephus by Rebecca Gray Hardcover (April 1993) Oxford Univ Press; ISBN: 019507615X Order

Flavius Josephus, the Zealots and Yavne : Towards a Rereading of the War of the Jews by Monette Bohrmann Paperback (June 1994) Peter Lang Publishing; ISBN: 3906752100 Order

The Historical Method of Flavius Josephus by Pere Villalba I Varneda Hardcover Vol 19 (August 1997) Brill Academic Publishers; ISBN: 9004076166 Order

Jewish Rights in the Roman World - The Greek and Roman Documents Quoted by Josephus Flavius by Miriam Pucci Ben Zeev Hardcover - 531 pages 0 edition (December 1998) J.C.B. Mohr; ISBN: 3161470435 Order

Josephus and Judaean Politics (Columbia Studies in the Classical Tradition, Vol 18) by Seth Schwartz Hardcover (August 1997) Brill Academic Publishers; ISBN: 9004092307 Order

Flavius Josephus on the Pharisees : A Composition-Critical Study (Studia Post-Biblica, Vol 39) by Steve Mason

The Image of the Jew in Flavius Josephus' Paraphrase of the Bible, by Paul Spilsbury(Mohr Siebeck, Texts and Studies in Ancient Judaism No. 69, 1998)

Turbulent times? : Josephus and scholarship on Judaea in the first century CE , by James S. McLaren. (Sheffield, England : Sheffield Academic Press, 1998).

The following are from Brill's series of studies in ancient Judaism and early Christianigy, (Arbeiten zur Geschichte des antiken Judentums und des Urchristentums):

Josephus and Faith: Pistis and Pisteuein as Faith Terminology in the Writings of Flavius Josephus and in the New Testament, by Dennis R Lindsay. (Brill, 1993).

Ein Bild des Judentums fuer Nichtjuden von Flavius Josephus: Untersuchungen zu seiner Schrift Contra Apionem, by Christine Gerber. (Brill, 1997).

Bibliographies and Scholarly Aids

Josephus and Modern Scholarship, 1937-1980 by Louis H. Feldman Hardcover (January 1984) Walter De Gruyter; ISBN: 3110081385 Order ($371.35)

Bibiliographie Zu Flavius Josephus by H. Schreckenberg Hardcover Vol 1 (August 1997) Brill Academic Publishers; ISBN: 9004001158 Order

A Complete Concordance to Flavius Josephus by K.H. Rengstorf (Editor), E. Buck (Editor), E. Guting (Editor) Hardcover (August 1997) Brill Academic Publishers; ISBN: 9004036555 Order now

A Complete Concordance to Flavius Josephus : Namenworterbuch Zu Flavius Josephus by A. Schalit (Editor) Hardcover (August 1997) Brill Academic Publishers; ISBN: 9004018573 Order now

First-Century Judaea

The Herodian Dynasty: Origins, Role in Society and Eclipse, by Dr. Nikos Kokkinos. ( (Sheffield, England : Sheffield Academic Press, 1998).

Josephus is the primary source for our knowledge of the Herod family. This book heavily analyzes Josephus as it examines the origins of the Herod family, measures its impact on Jewish society, and discusses the influence it exerted beyond Judaea. It argues that the Herodian dynasty played a central part in the workings of the Eastern Roman Empire. For more description, see The Kokkinos Archaeological Home Page.

The Ruling Class of Judaea: The origins of the Jewish Revolt against Rome A.D. 66-70, by Martin Goodman.

An examination of the cause of the War with emphasis on the power elite and why they could not keep the peace. Very closely examines everything Josephus mentions and deliberately fails to mention about the Judean aristocracy.

Josephus in Literary Fiction

El profeta y el traidor by Gustavo R. Giorgi (Ediciones PROA of Buenos Aires, www.edicionesproa.com, 1999) A novel based on the life of Josephus, told in first person from Josephus' point of view.

Lion Feuchtwanger and his Josephus Trilogy A review and introduction by Jim Bloom The neglected German-Jewish author Lion Feuchtwanger is one of the most stalwart defenders of Josephus’ blighted reputation. Feuchtwanger’s fiction trilogy, approximately based on Josephus’ discernible life history, is considered by many Josephan scholars to be in the forefront of the modern tendency towards moderation of the latter’s conventional traitor image. This article discusses Feuchtwanger's work and describes the re-discovery of Feuchtwanger's stage play about Josephus.

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Links to Book Reviews

Society of Biblical Literature - Book Reviews

Josephus's Interpretation of the Bible by Louis H. Feldman

Studies in Josephus's Rewritten Bible by Louis H. Feldman

by James S. McLaren Reviewed by L. H. Feldman Reviewed by J. Sievers

Dreams and Dream Reports in the Writings of Josephus by Robert Karl Gnuse

"Remember Amalek!": Vengeance, Zealotry, and Group Destruction in the Bible, According to Philo, Pseudo-Philo, and Josephus Louis H. Feldman

What is the oldest copy of Josephus?

As is common with ancient texts, however, there are no surviving extant manuscripts of Josephus' works that can be dated before the 11th century, and the oldest of these are all Greek minuscules, copied by Christian monks.

Was Josephus a Sadducee?

Joseph was born in Jerusalem in 37 CE as the son of Matthias, a man from priestly descent, and a mother who claimed royal blood. Stated differently, he was born as a Sadducee and an aristocrat.

Did Josephus write about John the Baptist?

JOESPHUS does, indeed, write concerning John the Baptist as follows: "Some of the Jews thought that the destruction of Herod's army came from God, and that he was punished very justly for the punishment he had inflicted on John, that was called the Baptist; for Herod slew him that was a good man, and exhorted the Jews ...

Where was Flavius Josephus born?

Jerusalem