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Josephus was a Jewish priest who was given command of the Jewish forces in Galilee during the First Roman-Jewish War. After their defeat, he formed a suicide pact with the remaining members of his forces but failed to carry out his own suicide. After being taken captive by the Romans, he told the commanding general, Vespasian, that the star that had appeared suddenly in the skies was a portent that Vespasian would soon become emperor of Rome, saying that the star was also evidence that Vespasian was the Messiah that the Jews had been waiting for. When the prophecy came true, Vespasian adopted Josephus into his own household and allowed him to use the family name, Flavius.
Josephus wrote a number of histories of the Jews, but they were largely ignored by the Jews and soon forgotten by the Romans. The works of Josephus survived because they were adopted by the early Christians, who believed they saw in them evidence of the historicity of the Christian story.
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What were Josephus' sources?
Josephus (37-101 CE) was a Jewish priest at the time of the revolt in 66 CE. His two most important works were The Jewish War (75 CE) and Antiquities of the Jews (93 CE). As the Jewish militiary leader in Galilee in 66 CE, and as the personal captive of the Roman general Flavius Vespasian, Josephus had first hand experience of many important events in the second half of the first century CE.Events from previous centuries, that he described in Antiquities, were largely sourced from the Hebrew Bible, so his account is subject to the same errors as the Bible, if any.Josephus' credibility as a historian is also questionable because he was always careful not to offend the Romans, so that much of his history from the first century can be seen as Roman propaganda. At the same time, Josephus also saw himself as a loyal and devout Jew, a position that also coloured his view of history.In The Jewish War (6.5.3 289) Josephus described a star that appeared over Jerusalem in 66 CE and stayed "for a whole year". He told Vespasian that this was a sign that he, Vespasian, would one day be emperor of Rome. When this prophecy came true, Josephus was adopted into the royal family and took the family name 'Flavius'. As a privileged member of the imperial family, Josephus had access to Roman records.
Is a counterclaim to this historian's claim?
We don't know who "this" historian is so we don't have the answer.
Does Josephus say that Mary Magdalene was John the apostle's wife?
No, Josephus, a first-century Jewish historian, does not mention Mary Magdalene or her relationship with John the apostle in his writings. This idea is not supported by historical or biblical evidence.
Why were people crucified in Jesus' time?
Crucifixion was a Roman custom used on the worst malefactors and rebellious slaves. Judea was a tributary to Rome at that time. It is recorded by the Jewish historian Josephus that after the last rebellion of the Jews and the capture and razing of Jerusalem, the countryside was practically denuded of trees the Romans crucified so many.
What three things did Romans do when they retook Jerusalem in a.d. 70?
They destroyed everything but the Roman Antonia Fortress so that the city looked like it was never there. They gave what written records they could collect in the mayhem to the Jewish historian Flavious Josephus (who was stationed with Titus's Army). And they killed, drove out, or enslaved the citizens of Jerusalem.
What three things did Romans do when they retook Jerusalem in 70 A.D.?
They destroyed everything but the Roman Antonia Fortress so that the city looked like it was never there. They gave what written records they could collect in the mayhem to the Jewish historian Flavious Josephus (who was stationed with Titus's Army). And they killed, drove out, or enslaved the citizens of Jerusalem.
What three things did Romans do when they retook Jerusalem in A.D.70?
They destroyed everything but the Roman Antonia Fortress so that the city looked like it was never there. They gave what written records they could collect in the mayhem to the Jewish historian Flavious Josephus (who was stationed with Titus's Army). And they killed, drove out, or enslaved the citizens of Jerusalem.
Which is correct an historian or a historian?
Both "an historian" and "a historian" are correct, but generally "a historian" is more commonly used. The use of "an historian" follows British English rules of using "an" before words that begin with a silent 'h'.
What were the sources josephus used when he was writing about Jesus?
Look at the writings attributed to Josephus. Doesn't it seem odd that he declares Jesus as the Messiah, the Christ, and yet seems so calm about the whole thing? In all of his writings, Jesus, the Messiah, gets only a paragraph? Doesn't make sense. This is obviously not the answer your teacher wants, but the reality is, according to every modern scholar, that Josephus wrote nothing at all about Jesus. The part that is attributed to Josephus is a clumsy forgery, probably inserted hundreds of years after Josephus' death.
Whose writings contain the earliest information about the life of Jesus?
Many prophets put together the Bible. In fact, it was put together through a total of 1,500 years and it still fits together. But the first historian to write about Jesus is thought to be Josephus.
Why was flavius afraid from Caesar?
Flavius was not afraid of Caesar. He just had an intuition that if they did anything against Caesar during the feast of Lupercalia, it might have a hard consequence for them.Infact, he was the one who drove the people away from the streets so that Caesar does not receive too much support of the mob and his spirit is let down.
Why did Josephus not believe in Jesus as Christ?
The relevant passage in "Antiquities of the Jews" is:-"Now, there was about this time, Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man, for he was a doer of wonderful works,--a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews, and many of the Gentiles. He was [the] Christ; and when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him, for he appeared to them alive again the third day, as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him; and the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day."Some believe it was a forgery added by Catholic Church historian Eusebius in the fourth century, but there is no real proof of that one way or the other.However, since Jesus was a jew, had been charged with treason [although unproved], and had been executed, and since Josephus was also a jew who had led a rebellion against the Romans and so was also a traitor, and would also have been executed unless he had just happened to have a convenient life-saving vision, it is unlikely he would wanted to have drawn any attention to himself by calling Jesus the Christ [that is, Messiah]: he may have called Him a good man instead of God , but just being a good man isn't enough to save you.
