Josephus

It is said that, in Britain from the 18th Century, copies of Josephus’ works were as widespread and as well read as The Bible. Christians valued “The Antiquities of the Jews” in particular, for the retelling of parts of the Old Testament and apparently corroborating the historical existence of Jesus. Born Joseph son of Matthias, in Jerusalem, in 37AD, he fought the Romans in Galilee in the First Jewish-Roman War. He was captured by Vespasian’s troops and became a Roman citizen, later describing the siege and fall of Jerusalem. His actions and writings made him a controversial figure, from his lifetime to the present day.

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Guests

• Tessa Rajak 2 episodes
  Professor Emeritus of Ancient History, University of Reading
• Philip Alexander 4 episodes
  Professor Emeritus of Jewish Studies, University of Manchester
• Martin Goodman No other episodes
  Professor of Jewish Studies, University of Oxford and President of the Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies

Reading list

• Flavius Josephus and Flavian Rome
  Jonathan Edmondson, Steve Mason and James Rives (eds.) (Oxford University Press, 2005) Google Books →
• Josephus's Interpretation of the Bible
  Louis H. Feldman (University of California Press, 1999) Google Books →
• The Ruling Class of Judaea: The Origins of the Jewish Revolt against Rome, A.D. 66-70
  Martin Goodman (Cambridge University Press, 1987) Google Books →
• Rome and Jerusalem: The Clash of Ancient Civilizations
  Martin Goodman (Allen Lane, 2007) Google Books →
• Prophetic Figures in Late Second Temple Palestine: The Evidence from Josephus
  Rebecca Gray (Oxford University Press, 1997) Google Books →
• Josephus, the Emperors and the City of Rome
  William den Hollander (Brill, 2014) Google Books →
• The Jewish War
  Josephus (trans. G. A. Williamson) (Penguin, 1981) Google Books →
• Flavius Josephus, Translation and Commentary
  Steve Mason (ed.) (Brill, 1999) Google Books →
• Josephus, Judea and Christian Origins: Methods and Categories
  Steve Mason (Baker, 2008) Google Books →
• Josephus: The Historian and his Society
  Tessa Rajak (Duckworth, 2002) Google Books →
• Making History: Josephus and Historical Method
  Zuleika Rodgers (ed.) (Brill, 2006) Google Books →

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Programme ID: b05vfdzl

Episode page: bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05vfdzl

Auto-category: 220 (Bible and related religious texts)

Hello (First sentence from this episode)

Hello. In 67 AD, during the First Jewish-Roman War, Josephus was in charge of Jewish rebels in Galilee, facing the full besieging might of the Roman army under Vespasian and his son Titus.