A Companion to Josephus

Description

A Companion to Josephus presents a collection of readings from international scholars that explore the works of the first century Jewish historian Flavius Josephus. Represents the first single-volume collection of readings to focus on Josephus Covers a wide range of disciplinary approaches to the subject, including reception history Features contributions from 29 eminent scholars in the field from four continents Reveals important insights into the Jewish and Roman worlds at the moment when Christianity was gaining ground as a movement Named Outstanding Academic Title of 2016 by Choice Magazine, a publication of the American Library Association Title Page Copyright Page Contents Notes on Contributors List of Illustrations Abbreviations Introduction I.1 Structure of the Book References References to Online Projects Further Reading Part I Writings Chapter 1 Josephus’s Judean War 1.1 Introduction 1.2 Date, Context, and Purposes 1.3 Content and Structures 1.4 Sources of the Judean War 1.5 Thematic Threads 1.6 Speech and Speeches 1.7 Conclusion References Further Reading Chapter 2 Many Sources but a Single Author: Josephus’s Jewish Antiquities 2.1 A Chronologically Organized Survey 2.2 A Work Written on the Basis of Extracts from Numerous Sources 2.3 Josephus Organized the Extracts Chronologically, According to Successions of Rulers 2.4 Sometimes Josephus Left His Excerpts Undigested 2.5 Josephus Strove to Create Continuity in His Work, Especially at Transitions from One Topic to Another 2.6 Josephus Creates Continuity by Arranging His Materials 2.7 Explicit Authorial Passages 2.8 Thematic Unity: Goals and Values References Further Reading Chapter 3 Josephus’s Autobiography (Life of Josephus) 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Date and Occasion 3.3 Purpose and Life-Writing in Rome 3.4 Contents, Structures, Devices 3.5 Relation to Judean War 2 and Historical Utility 3.6 Conclusion References Further Reading Chapter 4 Against Apion 4.1 Context: Josephus in Rome 4.2 Contents: Topics, Structure, Genre, Title, and Sources 4.3 Audience, Purpose, Impact, and Textual Tradition References Furt her Reading Part II Josephus’s Literary Context Chapter 5 Josephus as a Roman Historian 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Location and First Audiences 5.3 Roman Aspects of Josephus’s Compositions 5.4 Conclusion References Further Reading Chapter 6 Josephus and Greek Imperial Literature 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Josephus and the Greek Sophists 6.3 Josephus and Greek Contemporaries on the Past and the Roman Present 6.4 Conclusion References Further Reading Chapter 7 Josephus and the Bible 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Personal Formation 7.3 History and Prophecy 7.4 Canon, Text, and Translation 7.5 Readings 7.6 Identity 7.7 Conclusion References Further Reading Chapter 8 Josephus and Philo in Rome 8.1 Introduction 8.2 Josephus and Philo as Ancient Historians in Rome 8.3 Josephus and Philo as Historians of Contemporary Events 8.4 Roman Stoicism in the Works of Josephus and Philo Acknowledgments References Further Reading Chapter 9 Josephus and the New Testament 9.1 Introduction 9.2 The Jewish World of the First Century 9.3 Named Characters in the Gospels and Acts 9.4 Broader Connections between Josephus and the New Testament Authors 9.5 Conclusion References Further Reading Part III Themes Chapter 10 Josephus and the Archaeology of Galilee 10.1 Introduction 10.2 Rural Settlements 10.3 The Cities of the Galilee in the First Century C.E. 10.4 City and Polis in First-Century C.E. Galilee 10.5 The Population of the Galilee in the First Century C.E.: Material Culture and Behavioral Patterns in City and Village 10.6 Conclusion References Furt her Reading Chapter 11 Josephus as a Military Historian 11.1 Introduction 11.2 Josephus as an Eyewitness to War 11.3 Josephus’s Sources and Use of Numbers 11.4 Literary Theory and the Military Historian 11.5 Military Terminology in Josephus 11.6 War in Judean Antiquities 11.7 Conclusion Acknowledgements References Further Reading Chapter 12 Josephus on Women 12.1 Introduction 12.2 Josephus on Biblical Women 12.3 Josephus on Hasmonean and Herodian Women 12.4 Josephus as Eyewitness 12.5 Josephus as a Historian of Women References Further Reading Chapter 13 The Hasmoneans in Josephus 13.1 Introduction 13.2 Hasmonean History 13.3 Josephus and 1 Maccabees 13.4 Judas Maccabeus 13.5 Jonathan 13.6 Simon 13.7 John Hyrcanus 13.8 Aristobulus 13.9 Alexander Janneus 13.10 Salome Alexandra 13.11 Conclusion References Chapter 14 Herod the Great in Josephus 14.1 Introducing the Problem 14.2 Herod and the Romans 14.3 Successful Military Commander 14.4 Energetic Builder 14.5 Dissension within Herod’s Family 14.6 Attempts to Overthrow Herod 14.7 Transgressing the Law and Harshness 14.8 Explaining Failure: Herod’s Character Acknowledgments References Chapter 15 The Herodian Temple in Josephus 15.1 Introduction 15.2 Literary Context and Comparison of Judean War 5.184–247 and Judean Antiquities 15.388–425 15.3 Josephus’s Social Situation 15.4 Discrepancies and Archaeological Data 15.5 Conclusion Acknowledgments References Further Reading Chapter 16 Josephus and the Jewish Sects 16.1 Introduction 16.2 Questions Concerning Josephus’s Accounts 16.3 A Sect Redefined 16.4 Applying This Definition of Sect 16.5 The Pharisees 16.6 The Sadducees 16.7 The Essenes 16.8 The “Fourth Philosophy” and the Zealots 16.9 Bannus 16.10 John the Baptist 16.11 Jesus 16.12 Josephus and Other Ancient Jewish Sources References Further Reading Chapter 17 Josephus and the Priesthood 17.1 Introduction 17.2 Josephus as Priest 17.3 The Priesthood in Josephus’s Narratives 17.4 The Priesthood during the Revolt in Jewish War 17.5 The Excursuses on the Priesthood 17.6 The Priesthood on the Eve of the Revolt in Jewish Antiquities 20 17.7 Conclusion References Further Reading Chapter 18 Josephus and Halacha 18.1 Introduction 18.2 Legal Sections in Jewish Antiquities 3–4 18.3 Halacha in Against Apion 18.4 Halacha and Customs Found in Other Parts of Josephus’s Writings 18.5 Conclusion References Further Reading Chapter 19 Josephus and Rabbinic Literature 19.1 Introduction 19.2 The Portrayal of Sadducees as a Group that Accepts Only Scripture 19.3 Josephus, or Josephus’s Source? 19.4 Conclusion References Further Reading Part IV Transmission and Reception History Chapter 20 The Text of the Josephan Corpus: Principal Greek Manuscripts, Ancient Latin Translations, and the Indirect Tradition 20.1 Judean War 20.2 Judean Antiquities 20.3 Life 20.4 Against Apion Acknowledgments References Further Reading Chapter 21 The Ancient Latin Translations of Josephus 21.1 Introduction 21.2 The Latin Translations 21.3 The Modern Study of the Latin Translations of Josephus’s Works 21.4 Latin Manuscripts of Jewish War and Jewish Antiquities 21.5 Early Editions: 1470–1528 21.6 A Sample Text: Maria Driven Mad by Hunger (Jewish War 6.204) 21.7 Toward a Critical Edition of Josephus in Latin 21.8 Suggestions for Using the Latin Translations of Josephus before a New Edition Becomes Available References Further Reading Chapter 22 The Testimonium Flavianum 22.1 Introduction of the Problem and Main Sources 22.2 Evidence from Pseudo-Hegesippus 22.3 Sefer Yosippon and the Testimonium 22.4 Medieval and Early Modern Jewish and Christian Views 22.5 Modern Interpretations 22.6 Conclusion References Further Reading Chapter 23 Josephus and Patristic Literature 23.1 Introduction 23.2 Josephus’s Status in the Patristic Tradition 23.3 How Well Did the Christian Authors Know Josephus? 23.4 Christian Use of Josephus 23.5 Conclusion References Furth er Reading Chapter 24 The Christian Reception of Josephus in Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages 24.1 Introduction 24.2 Late Antique Christian Exegetes and Historians 24.3 Bede’s Use of Josephus 24.4 Carolingian Reception 24.5 The Age of Manuscripts, the Victorines, and the Comestor 24.6 The New Clerical Education, Hebrew Texts, and Josephan Texts 24.7 Popular Reception and Crusader Use of Josephan Texts 24.8 Conclusion References Further Reading Chapter 25 Sefer Yosippon (Josippon) 25.1 Introduction: Josephus in Jewish Tradition Post-70 C.E. 25.2 Sources 25.3 Provenance 25.4 Reception 25.5 Epilogue: The History of Scholarship on the Sefer Yosippon References Chapter 26 The Slavonic Version of Josephus’s Jewish War 26.1 Introduction 26.2 History of the Text 26.3 Divergences between the Greek and Slavonic Texts 26.4 “Omissions” 26.5 “Additions” 26.6 Are Any Conclusions Possible? References Further Reading Chapter 27 Josephus in Renaissance Italy 27.1 Introduction 27.2 The House of Este and Josephus’s First Italian Translations 27.3 Printed Editions in the First Half of the Sixteenth Century 27.4 The Tridentine Council 27.5 Further Prohibitions 27.6 Conclusion References Josephus’s Manuscripts and Editions Discussed in the Text Further Reading Chapter 28 A Note on English Translations of Josephus from Thomas Lodge to D. S. Margoliouth 28.1 Introduction 28.2 Early Seventeenth- to Early Twentieth-Century English Translations 28.3 Chronological list of English Translations of Josephus (up to the Loeb Classical Library) References Further Reading Chapter 29 From Masada to Jotapata: On Josephus in Twentieth-Century Hebrew Scholarship 29.1 Introduction 29.2 Josephus the Traitor: Life and Jewish War in the 1930s 29.3 From the 1930s to the 1940s: The Rise of Jewish Antiquities, and of Josephus Himself 29.4 The 1950s and 1960s: Josephus in the Light of Qumran, the Holocaust, and the Excavations of Masada 29.5 The 1970s and 1980s: Completing the Rehabilitation and Lowering Expectations 29.6 The 1990s: The Rise of Against Apion 29.7 Conclusion Acknowledgments References Chapter 30 Josephus Comicus in Monty Python’s Life of Brian and History of the World, Part 1 30.1 Introduction 30.2 Fictional Romans and Judeans in Film 30.3 Reactions to Life of Brian 30.4 Python Paideia 30.5 Rebel Bandits, Messiahs, and Prophets 30.6 Rebel Graffiti 30.7 Martyrdom and Zionism 30.8 History of the World, Part 1 30.9 Epilogue Appendix References Further Reading Index EULA