Josephus

Life

Josephus was born into a priestly family in Jerusalem. According to his autobiography, as a young man he experienced several Jewish sects before choosing to follow the way of the Pharisees.

During the First Jewish–Roman War, the Jewish revolt against Rome that began in 66, he served as a commander in the region of Galilee. When the fortress of Jotapata fell in 67, he surrendered to the Roman army, and by his own account he predicted that the Roman general Vespasian would become emperor. When Vespasian did in fact become emperor in 69, Josephus was released. In 70 he accompanied Titus during the siege of Jerusalem and witnessed the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. He later devoted himself to writing in Rome under imperial patronage and took the name "Flavius" from the imperial family.

Works and Achievements

Four works by Josephus survive.

• The Jewish War: An account of the course of the First Jewish–Roman War, covering events such as the fall of Jerusalem and the fall of the fortress of Masada.
• Antiquities of the Jews: A history of the Jewish people from the creation to the first century. It supplements the biblical narrative with Jewish traditions. For example, it contains the story that the descendants of Adam's son Seth inscribed their astronomical knowledge on a pillar of brick and a pillar of stone.
• Life (autobiography): A defense of his own conduct during the war.
• Against Apion: A defense of the Jewish people and their law against their detractors.

These works contain information relevant to the background of the New Testament, including the Herodian dynasty; Jewish sects such as the Sadducees, Essenes, and Zealots; the execution of John the Baptist; and the death of James the brother of the Lord. Notably, Antiquities of the Jews contains a passage that mentions Jesus, which scholars call the Testimonium Flavianum.

Influence on the Korean Church

Josephus's writings have been translated into Korean several times. In the Korean church they are widely cited in biblical commentaries, sermons, and Bible study materials to explain the background of the intertestamental period and the New Testament era. Accounts such as the dimensions of Herod's Temple and the horrors of the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 are usually drawn from Josephus's records. Josephus is also frequently cited as an extrabiblical source supporting the historical existence of Jesus.

Assessment

Josephus is regarded as the most important witness to first-century Jewish history. He has, however, also drawn criticism.

• Because he surrendered to Rome during the war, he was long regarded as a traitor within Jewish tradition.
• Critics note that his writings reveal an intention to defend both the Roman imperial house and himself.
• Critics also note that some of his figures, such as casualty counts, are exaggerated.
• Many scholars hold that the sentences in the Testimonium Flavianum that appear to confess Jesus as the Messiah were added by later Christians. Many nevertheless maintain that Josephus's original text did contain a passage mentioning Jesus. Others, by contrast, regard the entire passage as a later interpolation, while still others consider it entirely authentic.

For these reasons, the general consensus is that his records are valuable as background material for biblical interpretation but should be read alongside other sources.