Reading the First Century: On Reading Josephus and Studying Jewish History of the First Century

Description

The writings of Flavius Josephus provide much of what we know about the first century CE - which witnessed the birth of Christianity, the destruction of the Second Temple of Jerusalem, and the concomitant rise of rabbinic Judaism. However, Josephus was an author, not a video camera, and what he wrote often reflects much apart from what actually happened in the first century: Josephus' works were affected both by his literary models and by current events, and they functioned in various ways for Josephus as an individual and also as a and a Roman, writing in a time of tumult and radical change. Daniel R. Schwartz argues that by building from the bottom up - first establishing the text and its meaning, then moving on to issues of Josephus' models, sources, and purposes - we may nevertheless reconstruct, with some confidence, the events and processes of this crucial era. Cover Preface Table of Contents Abbreviations Chapter 1: Introduction: Who Needs Historians of the First Century? 1.1 The first century and Josephus 1.2 Who needs historians, what can they do, and why bother? 1.2.1 Tendencies and predispositions 1.2.2 Comparison of Josephus to other sources 1.2.3 Josephus’ use of sources 1.3 The philological-historical approach: Some introductory comments and test-cases 1.3.1 On pendulums and cuckoos 1.3.2 Issues of text and interpretation: The case of Josephus’ divorce (Life 415) 1.3.2.1 Text 1.3.2.2 Interpretation 1.3.3 Issues of meaning in context and authorial intention: The case of Agrippa’s birthday (Ant. 19.321) 1.3.4 Issues of the use of sources: The case of Pompey’s conquest (Ant 14.74–78) 1.3.5 Issues of coordinating evidence: Josephus and Philo on Pontius Pilate 1.4 Conclusion Chapter 2: Beneath the Text: What Text Shall We Read? 2.1 When there’s too little evidence: The case of Alexander Jannaeus’ crucifixion of his enemies Context to the rescue 2.2 When there’s unanimous evidence but we doubt it 2.2.1 When it ain’t broke, don’t fix it: The case of Life 185 2.2.2 Text authentic, although wrong: The cases of Antiquities 14.158, Antiquities 15.407, and War 5.236 2.2.3 Context shows text is not authentic 2.2.3.1 Local literary context 2.2.3.1.1 The case of Life 415 2.2.3.1.2 The case of War 2.279 2.2.3.2 Presumptive literary context: Manual of Discipline 11:9–11 2.2.3.3 Presumptive non-literary context 2.2.3.3.1 Governmental context? The case of Pilate’s successor (Ant. 18.89, 237) 2.2.3.3.2 Religious context? The case of Agrippa’s critic (Ant. 19.332) New discoveries change context 2.3 When witnesses disagree 2.3.1 Obviously trivial discrepancies 2.3.2 Seemingly serious discrepancies that turn out to be nugatory: Did the Essenes offer sacrifices (Ant. 18.19)? 2.3.3 Discrepancies that do make a difference 2.3.3.1 Careless scribes? Toponyms in War 2.573 and Life 188 2.3.3.1.1 But authors too can err: Which Lyons (War 2.183 vs. Ant. 18.252)? 2.3.3.2 Overly helpful scribes? Which Darius (Ant. 11.302)? 2.3.3.3 Ignorant scribes? A Benjaminite priest (2 Maccabees 3:4)? 2.3.3.4 Theologically motivated scribes? Who sang the Magnificat (Luke 1:46–56)? Chapter 3: Within the Text: Meaning in Context 3.1 What does a word or a sentence mean? 3.2 What does something mean in its broader context? 3.2.1 Aspect of an overarching theme? “Demonic” intervention in Life 402 3.2.2 Continuation of a story or beginning of a new one? When did Herod conquer Jerusalem? 3.2.3 What did Josephus choose to leave out? Stasis in Antiquities 13.299 3.2.3.1 Parallels? 3.2.3.2 Historical explanation for the omission? 3.2.4 Establishing a writer’s Sitz im Leben 3.3 Event or topos? 3.3.1 Event or topos, or maybe both? 3.3.1.1 A topos or more? Cannibalism in War 6.201–213 3.3.1.2 A topos and that’s enough: Shipwreck in Life 15 and Acts 27 3.3.1.3 A topos but also history: Josephus on Essene marriage (War 2.120–121, 160–161) Chapter 4: Behind the Text: Josephus’ Use of Sources 4.1 Quellenkritik 4.2 Where is Josephus’ own voice? 4.3 Cumulative evidence for splicing 4.3.1 “Grotesque?” 4.4 Sources and chronology 4.4.1 Juxtaposed sources on the same event: The case of Vitellius’ visit(s) to Jerusalem (Ant. 18.89–122) 4.4.2 Further distinctions: Sources within sources 4.4.2.1 A high-priestly chronicle? 4.4.2.2 A source on John the Baptist? Chapter 5: Among Texts: Rubbing Sources Together 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Josephus vs. Luke: The case of Quirinius’ census (Ant. 18.1–2, 26 vs. Luke 1–2) 5.3 Josephus vs. Philo: What did Pilate introduce into Jerusalem? 5.4 Josephus vs. epigraphical evidence 5.4.1 Really the same? The case of Potlas 5.4.2 Jewish editing? The case of Claudius’ edict(s) 5.5 Josephus vs. rabbinic literature 5.5.1 Comparison leads us to discern Josephus’ attitude toward his traditional sources: Respectful but sovereign 5.5.2 Comparison leads us to discern Josephus’ use of sources: Antiquities 13.288–298 vs. BT Qiddushin 66a 5.5.3 Comparison leads us to discern disparate agendas: War 2.409 ff. vs. BT Gittin 55b–56a 5.6 Josephus vs. Roman historians 5.6.1 Tacitus supplements Josephus’ story 5.6.2 Cassius Dio supplements Josephus’ story 5.6.2.1 Not just a few bad apples 5.6.2.2 Roman disobedience 5.6.3 Tacitus contradicts Josephus 5.6.3.1 Tacitean generalization vs. Josephan detail: Was all quiet under Tiberius? 5.6.3.2 When Tacitus and Josephus are both detailed: The burning of the Temple 5.6.4 Tacitus pushes us to examine Josephus’ story more closely, and this fills out our dossiers 5.7 Josephus vs. Josephus: Changing perspectives 5.7.1 War vs. Life: Good Jews don’t fight one another 5.7.2 War vs. Antiquities: Who fought whom? 5.7.2.1 War with Rome or civil war? 5.7.2.2 Who is to blame? 5.7.3 War vs. Antiquities: Religion and State 5.7.3.1 From land to law 5.7.3.2 From rebellious prophets to rebels and prophets: War 2.258–264 vs. Antiquities 20.167–172 Theudas 5.7.3.3 From land to law – Q. E. D 5.7.3.4 From cult to law 5.7.3.4.1 Cult vs. law in other parallel narratives 5.7.3.4.2 Cult vs. law in rewritten biblical history: Antiquities 8.276–281 vs. 2 Chronicles 13:4–12 5.7.4 War vs. Antiquities: Which Jews are not worthy of respect? War 2.169–177 vs. Antiquities 18.55–62 5.8 Summary Chapter 6: Above the Texts: The Big Picture 6.1 Conflict is the key 6.1.1 Conflict about religion and state: Smallwood vs. Kasher 6.1.2 Christianity leaves the state behind: Acts 1:8 vs. 13:47 6.1.3 Rabbinic Judaism leaves the state behind: M. Avot 1:2 vs. 1:18 A tradition of non-historical interpretation: BT Nedarim 27b–28a on tax-evasion Appendix Arnaldo Momigliano: “The Rules of the Game in the Study of Ancient History” An Arbitrary Selection of Some Books on Historical Method Indexes Index of Ancient Sources Josephus Hebrew Bible Extra-canonical Jewish Texts Qumran Texts Philo New Testament Rabbinic Literature Greek and Latin Texts Index of Modern Authors Index of Names, Toponyms, Topics, and Terms