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<!DOCTYPE html> <html lang="en"> <head> <title>CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Flavius Josephus</title><script src="https://dtyry4ejybx0.cloudfront.net/js/cmp/cleanmediacmp.js?ver=0104" async="true"></script><script defer data-domain="newadvent.org" src="https://plausible.io/js/script.js"></script><link rel="canonical" href="https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08522a.htm"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"> <meta name="description" content="Jewish historian, born A.D. 37, at Jerusalem; died about 101"> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="RSS" href="http://feeds.newadvent.org/bestoftheweb?format=xml"><link rel="icon" href="../images/icon1.ico" type="image/x-icon"><link rel="shortcut icon" href="../images/icon1.ico" type="image/x-icon"><meta name="robots" content="noodp"><link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="../utility/screen6.css" media="screen"></head> <body class="cathen" id="08522a.htm">  <br/> <div id="capitalcity"><table summary="Logo" cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 width="100%"><tr valign="bottom"><td align="left"><a href="../"><img height=36 width=153 border="0" alt="New Advent" src="../images/logo.gif"></a></td><td align="right"> <form id="searchbox_000299817191393086628:ifmbhlr-8x0" action="../utility/search.htm">  <input type="hidden" name="safe" value="active"> <input type="hidden" name="cx" value="000299817191393086628:ifmbhlr-8x0"/> <input type="hidden" name="cof" value="FORID:9"/>  <label for="searchQuery" id="searchQueryLabel">Search:</label> <input id="searchQuery" name="q" type="text" size="25" aria-labelledby="searchQueryLabel"/>  <label for="submitButton" id="submitButtonLabel" class="visually-hidden">Submit Search</label> <input id="submitButton" type="submit" name="sa" value="Search" aria-labelledby="submitButtonLabel"/> </form> <table summary="Spacer" cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0><tr><td height="2"></td></tr></table> <table summary="Tabs" cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0><tr> <td bgcolor="#ffffff"></td> <td class="tab"><a class="tab_color_on_beige" href="../"> Home </a></td> <td class="tab"><a class="tab_white_on_color" href="../cathen/index.html"> Encyclopedia </a></td> <td class="tab"><a class="tab_color_on_beige" href="../summa/index.html"> Summa </a></td> <td class="tab"><a class="tab_color_on_beige" href="../fathers/index.html"> Fathers </a></td> <td class="tab"><a class="tab_color_on_beige" href="../bible/gen001.htm"> Bible </a></td> <td class="tab"><a class="tab_color_on_beige" href="../library/index.html"> Library </a></td> </tr></table> </td> </tr></table><table summary="Alphabetical index" width="100%" cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0><tr><td class="bar_white_on_color"> <a href="../cathen/a.htm"> A </a><a href="../cathen/b.htm"> B </a><a href="../cathen/c.htm"> C </a><a href="../cathen/d.htm"> D </a><a href="../cathen/e.htm"> E </a><a href="../cathen/f.htm"> F </a><a href="../cathen/g.htm"> G </a><a href="../cathen/h.htm"> H </a><a href="../cathen/i.htm"> I </a><a href="../cathen/j.htm"> J </a><a href="../cathen/k.htm"> K </a><a href="../cathen/l.htm"> L </a><a href="../cathen/m.htm"> M </a><a href="../cathen/n.htm"> N </a><a href="../cathen/o.htm"> O </a><a href="../cathen/p.htm"> P </a><a href="../cathen/q.htm"> Q </a><a href="../cathen/r.htm"> R </a><a href="../cathen/s.htm"> S </a><a href="../cathen/t.htm"> T </a><a href="../cathen/u.htm"> U </a><a href="../cathen/v.htm"> V </a><a href="../cathen/w.htm"> W </a><a href="../cathen/x.htm"> X </a><a href="../cathen/y.htm"> Y </a><a href="../cathen/z.htm"> Z </a> </td></tr></table></div> <div id="mobilecity" style="text-align: center; "><a href="../"><img height=24 width=102 border="0" alt="New Advent" src="../images/logo.gif"></a></div>  <div id="mi5"><span class="breadcrumbs"><a href="../">Home</a> > <a href="../cathen">Catholic Encyclopedia</a> > <a href="../cathen/j.htm">J</a> > Flavius Josephus</span></div> <div id="springfield2"> <div class='catholicadnet-728x90' id='cathen-728x90-top' style='display: flex; height: 100px; align-items: center; justify-content: center; '></div> <h1>Flavius Josephus</h1> <p><em><a href="https://gumroad.com/l/na2"><strong>Please help support the mission of New Advent</strong> and get the full contents of this website as an instant download. Includes the Catholic Encyclopedia, Church Fathers, Summa, Bible and more  all for only $19.99...</a></em></p> <p>Jewish historian, born A.D. 37, at <a href="../cathen/08344a.htm">Jerusalem</a>; died about 101. He belonged to a distinguished <a href="../cathen/12409a.htm">priestly</a> <a href="../cathen/05782a.htm">family</a>, whose paternal ancestors he himself traces back five generations; his mother's <a href="../cathen/05782a.htm">family</a> claimed descent from the <a href="../cathen/09493b.htm">Machabeans</a>. He received a good <a href="../cathen/05295b.htm">education</a>, and association with distinguished scholars developed his <a href="../cathen/08066a.htm">intellectual</a> gifts, more especially his <a href="../cathen/10174a.htm">memory</a> and power of judgment. He also made himself fully acquainted with and tried the leading politico-religious Jewish parties of his age  the <a href="../cathen/05546a.htm">Essenes</a>, <a href="../cathen/11789b.htm">Pharisees</a>, and <a href="../cathen/13323a.htm">Sadducees</a>.</p> <p>Impressed by the outward importance of the <a href="../cathen/11789b.htm">Pharisees</a> and hoping to secure through them a position of influence, he attached himself to their party at the age of nineteen, although he shared neither their religious nor political views. He went to <a href="../cathen/13164a.htm">Rome</a> in the year 64 with the object of procuring from <a href="../cathen/10752c.htm">Nero</a> the release of some <a href="../cathen/12430a.htm">imprisoned</a> Jewish <a href="../cathen/12406a.htm">priests</a>, who were friends of his. He succeeded in winning the favour of Poppæa Sabina, the emperor's consort, and through her influence gained his cause. But he was dazzled by the brilliant court life in the <a href="../cathen/10244c.htm">metropolis</a> of the world, that he became ever more estranged from the spirit of strict <a href="../cathen/08399a.htm">Judaism</a>, considering its struggle against <a href="../cathen/11388a.htm">paganism</a> as useless. After his return to <a href="../cathen/08344a.htm">Jerusalem</a>, the great Jewish revolt broke out in the year 66. Like most of the aristocratic <a href="../cathen/08399a.htm">Jews</a>, Josephus at first discountenanced the rebellion of his countrymen, goaded into activity by their enslaved condition and outraged religious sentiments; when, however, fortune seemed to favour the insurgents, Josephus like the rest of the <a href="../cathen/12409a.htm">priestly</a> nobility joined them, and was chosen by the <a href="../cathen/13444a.htm">Sanhedrin</a> at <a href="../cathen/08399a.htm">Jerusalem</a> to be commander-in-chief in <a href="../cathen/06341c.htm">Galilee</a>. As such he established in every city throughout the country a council of judges, the members of which were recruited from those who shared his political views. He guided the diplomatic negotiations as well as the military enterprises with <a href="../cathen/12517b.htm">prudence</a> and astuteness. In the beginning the <a href="../cathen/08399a.htm">Jews</a> were successful, but later when the Roman General <a href="../cathen/15379a.htm">Vespasian</a> advanced with the main army from <a href="../cathen/01570a.htm">Antioch</a> to <a href="../cathen/06341c.htm">Galilee</a>, burning and <a href="../cathen/07441a.htm">murdering</a>, the insurgents either fled or sought shelter in their fortresses. For six weeks Josephus and the boldest spirits among the insurgents defended themselves in the almost impregnable fortress of Jotapata. In the summer of 67, the garrison being now exhausted from lack of water and other necessaries, the Romans stormed the citadel; most of the patriots were put to the sword, but Josephus escaped the massacre by hiding in an inaccessible cistern, and emerged only after receiving an assurance that his <a href="../cathen/09238c.htm">life</a> would be spared. Brought before the victorious general, he sought with great shrewdness to ingratiate himself with <a href="../cathen/15379a.htm">Vespasian</a>, foretelling his elevation, as well as that of his son Titus, to the imperial dignity. <a href="../cathen/15379a.htm">Vespasian</a>, however, kept him as a <a href="../cathen/12430a.htm">prisoner</a>, and it was only in the year 69, after he had actually become emperor, that he restored to Josephus his liberty.</p> <div class="CMtag_300x250" style="display: flex; height: 300px; align-items: center; justify-content: center; "></div> <p>As a freedman of <a href="../cathen/15379a.htm">Vespasian</a>, Josephus assumed in accordance with the Roman custom the former's family name of Flavianus. He accompanied the emperor as far as <a href="../cathen/05329b.htm">Egypt</a>, when the latter had handled over to his son the prosecution of the Jewish War, but then joined the retinue of Titus, and was an eyewitness of the destruction of the <a href="../cathen/08344a.htm">Holy City</a> and her <a href="../cathen/14499a.htm">Temple</a>. At his personal risk he had tried to persuade the <a href="../cathen/08399a.htm">Jews</a> to surrender. After the fall of the city he went to <a href="../cathen/13164a.htm">Rome</a> with Titus, and took part in the latter's triumph. But these scenes did not trouble Josephus's sense of national <a href="../cathen/07462a.htm">honour</a>; on the contrary, he accepted the privilege of Roman citizenship in recognition of his services, and was granted a yearly stipend and also lands in <a href="../cathen/08544a.htm">Judea</a>. The succeeding emperors, Titus and his cruel brother <a href="../cathen/05114b.htm">Domitian</a>, also showed themselves kindly disposed towards Josephus, and conferred on him many marks of distinction. At court he was allowed to devote himself unmolested to his literary work until his death, which occurred in the reign of <a href="../cathen/15015a.htm">Trajan</a> (probably in 101). In his life, as in his writings, he pursued a policy midway between Jewish and <a href="../cathen/11388a.htm">pagan</a> culture, for which he was accused by his Jewish countrymen of being unprincipled and <a href="../cathen/07610a.htm">hypocritical</a>. His works were written in elegant Greek, to influence the <a href="../cathen/05295b.htm">educated</a> class of his time, and free them from various prejudices against <a href="../cathen/08399a.htm">Judaism</a>.</p> <p>The first work of Josephus was the "Jewish War" (<em>Peri tou Ioudaikou polemou</em>) in seven books. This is mainly based on his memoranda made during the <a href="../cathen/15546c.htm">war</a> of independence (66-73), on the memoirs of <a href="../cathen/15379a.htm">Vespasian</a>, and on letters of <a href="../cathen/07289c.htm#IV">King Agrippa</a>. While his story of warlike events is reliable, the account of his own doings is strongly tinctured with foolish self-adulation. This work furnishes the historical background for numerous historical romances, among those of modern times "Lucius Flavius" by <a href="../cathen/14215b.htm">J. Spillmann, S.J.</a>, and "The End of Juda" by Anton de Waal.</p> <p>Josephus's second work, the "Jewish Antiquities" (<em>Ioudaike Archaiologia</em>), contains in twenty books the whole <a href="../cathen/08386a.htm">history of the Jews</a> from the <a href="../cathen/07310a.htm">Creation</a> to the outbreak of the revolt in A.D. 66. Books I-XI are based on the text of the <a href="../cathen/13722a.htm">Septuagint</a>, though at times he also repeats traditional explanations current among the <a href="../cathen/08399a.htm">Jews</a> in later times. He also quotes numerous passages from Greek authors whose writings are now lost. On the other hand he made allowance for the tastes of his <a href="../cathen/06422a.htm">Gentile</a> contemporaries by arbitrary omissions as well as by the free embellishment of certain scenes. Books XII-XX, in which he speaks of the times preceding the coming of <a href="../cathen/08374c.htm">Christ</a> and the foundation of <a href="../cathen/03712a.htm">Christianity</a>, are our only sources for many historical events. In these the value of the statements is enhanced by the insertion of dates which are otherwise wanting, and by the citation of authentic documents which confirm and supplement the <a href="../cathen/02543a.htm">Biblical</a> narrative. The story of <a href="../cathen/07289c.htm">Herod the Great</a> is contained in books XV-XVII. Book XVIII contains in chapter iii the celebrated passage in which mention is made of the <a href="../cathen/08374c.htm">Redeemer</a> in the following words:</p> <blockquote><p>About this time lived <a href="../cathen/08374c.htm">Jesus</a>, a man full of wisdom, if indeed one may call Him a man. For He was the doer of incredible things, and the teacher of such as gladly received the <a href="../cathen/15073a.htm">truth</a>. He thus attracted to Himself many <a href="../cathen/08399a.htm">Jews</a> and many of the <a href="../cathen/06422a.htm">Gentiles</a>. He was the <a href="../cathen/10212c.htm">Christ</a>. On the accusation of the leading men of our people, <a href="../cathen/12083c.htm">Pilate</a> condemned Him to death upon the cross; nevertheless those who had previously <a href="../cathen/09397a.htm">loved</a> Him still remained faithful to Him. For on the third day He again appeared to them living, just as, in addition to a thousand other marvellous things, <a href="../cathen/12477a.htm">prophets</a> sent by <a href="../cathen/06608a.htm">God</a> had foretold. And to the present day the race of those who call themselves <a href="../cathen/03712a.htm">Christians</a> after Him has not ceased.</p></blockquote> <p>Attempts have been made to refute the objections brought against this passage both for internal and external reasons, but the difficulty has not been definitively settled. The passage seems to suffer from repeated interpolations. The fact that the "Antiquities" testifies to the <a href="../cathen/15073a.htm">truth</a> of <a href="../cathen/13001a.htm">Divine Revelation</a> among the <a href="../cathen/08399a.htm">Jews</a> as among the <a href="../cathen/03712a.htm">Christians</a>, and confirms the historical facts related in the <a href="../cathen/02543a.htm">Bible</a> by the incontrovertible testimony of <a href="../cathen/11388a.htm">pagan</a> authors, renders this work of Josephus of extreme value for the history of the chosen people. The accounts which he gives of the rise and mutual relations of the different Jewish <a href="../cathen/13674a.htm">sects</a>, which are so important in the history and sufferings of the <a href="../cathen/08374c.htm">Saviour</a>; his information regarding the corruption of the ancient Jewish customs and institutions; his statement concerning the internal conflicts of the <a href="../cathen/08399a.htm">Jews</a>, and lastly his account of the last <a href="../cathen/15546c.htm">war</a> with the Romans, which put an end to the national independence of the <a href="../cathen/08399a.htm">Jews</a>, are of prime importance as historical sources.</p> <div class="CMtag_300x250" style="display: flex; height: 300px; align-items: center; justify-content: center; "></div> <p>In his "Autobiography" (<em>phlaouiou Iosepou bios</em>), written A.D. 90, Josephus seeks, not without attempts at self-glorification, to justify his position at the beginning of the Jewish rising. In plan and language the book is probably influenced by the writings of Nicholas of <a href="../cathen/04611a.htm">Damascus</a>, which Josephus had also used in the "Antiquities". His work entitled "Against Apion" (<em>Kata Apionos</em>), divided in two books, is a defence of the great antiquity of the <a href="../cathen/08399a.htm">Jews</a> and a refutation of the charges which had been brought against them by the grammarian Apion of Alexandria on the occasion of an embassy to the Emperor Caligula.</p> <p>The early <a href="../cathen/03712a.htm">Christians</a> were <a href="../cathen/15753a.htm">zealous</a> readers of Josephus's "History of the Jews", and the <a href="../cathen/06001a.htm">Fathers of the Church</a>, such as <a href="../cathen/08341a.htm">Jerome</a> and <a href="../cathen/01383c.htm">Ambrose</a>, as well as the early ecclesiastical historians like <a href="../cathen/05617b.htm">Eusebius</a>, are fond of quoting him in their works. <a href="../cathen/08452b.htm">St. Chrysostom</a> calls him a useful expounder of the historical books of the <a href="../cathen/14526a.htm">Old Testament</a>. The works of Josephus were translated into Latin at an early <a href="../cathen/04636c.htm">date</a>. After the art of printing had been discovered, they were circulated in all languages. The first <a href="../cathen/06517a.htm">German</a> translation was edited by the <a href="../cathen/14313c.htm">Strasburg</a> Reformer Kaspar Hedio, in 1531, and a <a href="../cathen/06190a.htm">French</a> translation was issued by Burgoing in <a href="../cathen/09472a.htm">Lyons</a> in 1558. Among the best-known translations in English is that by Whiston (London, 1737), revised by Shilleto (5 vols., London, 1888-9). In the middle of the nineteenth century the interest in the "Jewish Antiquities" was revived by a translation which the <a href="../cathen/02688c.htm">Society of St. Charles Borromeo</a> induced <a href="../cathen/09728a.htm">Professor Konrad Martin</a>, afterwards <a href="../cathen/02581b.htm">Bishop</a> of <a href="../cathen/11383c.htm">Paderborn</a>, to undertake in collaboration with <a href="../cathen/08611a.htm">Franz Kaulen</a> (1st ed., Cologne, 1852-3; 2nd and 3rd ed. by <a href="../cathen/08611a.htm">Kaulen</a>, 1883 and 1892). The text of Josephus's works has been published by Dindorf in Greek and Latin (2 vols., Paris, 1845-47) and Bekker (6 vols., Leipzig, 1855-6). There are critical editions by Naber, (Leipzig, 1888-96) and Niese (7 vols., Berlin, 1887-95; text only, 6 vols., Berlin, 1888-95).</p> <div class='catholicadnet-728x90' id='cathen-728x90-bottom' style='display: flex; height: 100px; align-items: center; justify-content: center; '></div> <div class="cenotes"><h2>Sources</h2><p class="cenotes">Consult SCHÜRER in Realencycl. für prot. Theol., s.v.; MÜLLER, Christus bei Flavius Josephus; EDERSHEIM in Dict. Christ. Biog., s.v. For fuller bibliography see SCHÜRER, Gesch. des jud. Volkes im Zeitalter Jesu Christi, I (3rd ed., Leipzig, 1901), 98-106.</p></div> <div class="pub"><h2>About this page</h2><p id="apa"><strong>APA citation.</strong> <span id="apaauthor">Hoeber, K.</span> <span id="apayear">(1910).</span> <span id="apaarticle">Flavius Josephus.</span> In <span id="apawork">The Catholic Encyclopedia.</span> <span id="apapublisher">New York: Robert Appleton Company.</span> <span id="apaurl">http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08522a.htm</span></p><p id="mla"><strong>MLA citation.</strong> <span id="mlaauthor">Hoeber, Karl.</span> <span id="mlaarticle">"Flavius Josephus."</span> <span id="mlawork">The Catholic Encyclopedia.</span> <span id="mlavolume">Vol. 8.</span> <span id="mlapublisher">New York: Robert Appleton Company,</span> <span id="mlayear">1910.</span> <span id="mlaurl"><http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08522a.htm>.</span></p><p id="transcription"><strong>Transcription.</strong> <span id="transcriber">This article was transcribed for New Advent by Stephen W. Shackelford.</span> <span id="dedication">In Memory of my father, Carl W. Shackelford.</span></p><p id="approbation"><strong>Ecclesiastical approbation.</strong> <span id="nihil"><em>Nihil Obstat.</em> October 1, 1910. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor.</span> <span id="imprimatur"><em>Imprimatur.</em> +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York.</span></p><p id="contactus"><strong>Contact information.</strong> The editor of New Advent is Kevin Knight. My email address is webmaster <em>at</em> newadvent.org. Regrettably, I can't reply to every letter, but I greatly appreciate your feedback — especially notifications about typographical errors and inappropriate ads.</p></div> </div> <div id="ogdenville"><table summary="Bottom bar" width="100%" cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0><tr><td class="bar_white_on_color"><center><strong>Copyright © 2023 by <a href="../utility/contactus.htm">New Advent LLC</a>. 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