FLAVIO JOSEFO: BIOGRAPHY, THOUGHTS AND WORKS - HISTORY - 2025

Flavius ​​Josephus (37-38 - Rome, 101) was a historian of Jewish origin who took Roman nationality and was in charge of documenting the history of the Jewish people during the early years of Christianity. Descriptions and quotes about Jesus Christ are attributed to him, as well as one of the main testimonies about the martyrdom of Santiago, the brother of Jesus.

Through his work, written mainly in Greek, this writer wanted the Roman world to know and respect the Hebrew idiosyncrasy. In his books he makes use of stylistic flourishes and rhetoric that reveal his preference and veneration for the Hebrew people.

Josephus was very proud because thanks to his books he made the history of his people known to the Romans and Jews, from its origins to the time when he wrote the texts. In general, he focused on enhancing the Jewish deed and culture.

In the book Jewish Antiquities, a work composed of about twenty volumes, Flavio makes mention of the presence of Jesus in Jewish history. This is called the “Flavian Testimony” and currently generates much research on its authenticity, as well as on the author's perception of the importance of Jesus Christ.

Biography

Flavius ​​Josephus was born in AD 37. C. in the bosom of a distinguished family of priests. It is known that his father belonged to what was known as the priestly aristocracy of Jerusalem. For his part, his mother was a descendant of the royal house of the Hasmoneans.

It responded to the original name of Yosef ben Mattityahu or Yossef bar Mattityahu; that is to say, “José son of Matías”. As was customary in families with a priestly tradition, Josephus received from a young age education and instruction of a very high level.

He was a young man who stood out for his good memory and his speed to learn, which is why it is affirmed that he had a broad cultural training in everything related to the knowledge of the Hebrew people, in their Pharisee, Sadducee and Essene traditions.

It is known that he spent time in the desert with the Essenes, but after this experience he returned to Jerusalem to continue under the rules of life of the Pharisees, and there are even historical records that indicate that he served as a priest.

At the age of 26, he went to Rome to intercede with Emperor Nero for the liberation of some priests who had been imprisoned by order of the governor Felix, because they had been accused of participating in the revolts of the Jews against the Romans.

Promotion to Governor

Once in Rome, Flavius ​​Josephus was also arrested for this cause, but soon after he was released as a result of the intervention of Poppea Sabina, who was the emperor's wife.

In 65 he returned to Jerusalem. Already in 66, what is known as the Great Jewish Revolt broke out; Conflict with Rome seemed inevitable, and by this time the Sanhedrin had become a kind of court martial that divided the country into seven military districts.

In this way the district of Galilea arose and Flavio Josefo was designated like governor. This was a situation that was glimpsed with a halo of mystery, given his sympathy with Rome and his lack of military rank to carry out such a high position.

Defeat

Before the advance of the army of General Tito Flavio Vespasiano, the young Flavio Josefo was convinced of the defeat and was determined to surrender. However, he withdrew to the fortress of Jopata, which he defended to the extreme forced by his companions.

While his companions killed each other before surrendering to the Romans, Josephus gave in and turned out to be one of the few survivors of the summer of 67. He surrendered to Vespasian, showed him all his training and culture and, furthermore, predicted that he would soon be emperor "over the land, over the sea and over all humanity.

It was in this way that he won the grace of Vespasian, who took him to Rome as his slave. Once he became emperor, thus fulfilling the prediction of Flavius ​​Josephus, Vespasian released him and gave him the name of Titus Flavius ​​Josephus.

In the year 70 he joined the army of Titus, Vespasian's son, and left for Judea. There he witnessed the conquest of his hometown, Jerusalem, as well as the destruction of the Holy City and its temple.

This behavior earned him the esteem of a traitor before his compatriots, accusations that, although indelible, were totally ignored by this character.

A citizen of Rome

Flavio Josefo returned to Rome and participated in the triumphal parade. Thanks to his work in the service of Titus' army and the esteem of Vespasian, he obtained a pension, a wife and a plot of land in Judea.

He also received Roman citizenship, an annual income and a house that had been the residence of Vespasian himself.

From that moment he concentrated on literary activity, in whose development he was deeply patriotic with the ultimate goal of establishing a good name for his people.

He devoted himself to literature until the moment of his death, which, according to historical records, occurred in AD 100. C.

Thought

Flavius ​​Josephus is considered a great historian of Hebrew culture thanks to the fact that he dedicated himself to documenting the life of the Jews, which gives the New Testament social, cultural, political and economic context.

If instead of achieving the grace of the Romans he had died in one of the revolts, most likely today there would be no knowledge about those years, which even coincide with the life and death of Jesus.

In his prolific work, particularly with Jewish Antiquities, he wanted to show that the Hebrew culture predates the Greek and the Roman, for which he considered that this culture represents the cradle of a thought on which the ancient world cannot deny its influence.

In his works, even chronological data on great personalities that appear in the New Testament writings are obtained.

Such is the case with Herod the Great and his family, as Flavius ​​Josephus described the leadership style of Herod and his son, who succeeded him. Likewise, he gave context to the whole story that is told about him in the Gospels.

A similar case occurs with the Roman emperors, as well as with the Roman prefects and procurators in Jerusalem. Thanks to their texts, their lives, their personalities and their connection with Jewish life can be understood to influence the events described in the New Testament.

Flavian testimony

In Book XX of his Jewish Antiquities, Flavius ​​Josephus mentions Jesus of Nazareth. This passage is known as the “Flavian Testimony” and since the end of the 16th century it has sparked various debates about its authenticity.

The quote about Jesus is as follows:

“About this time Jesus appeared, a wise man (if it is correct to call him a man, since he was a shocking miracle worker, a teacher to men who receive the truth with joy), and drew to him many Jews (already many Gentiles also. He was the messiah).

And when Pilate, faced with the denunciation of those who are the foremost among us, had condemned him to the cross, those who had loved him first did not abandon him (since he appeared to them alive again on the third day, having predicted this and other so many wonders upon him the holy prophets).

The tribe of Christians, named for him, has not ceased to grow to this day. "

In parentheses it is indicated what are supposed to be additions that some Christian scribes made later to the work of Flavius ​​Josephus.

Basically the debate on the authenticity of the Flavian Testimony is summarized in three premises:

1- It is totally false because Christian intervention is clearly evident. Flavius ​​Josephus being a Jew, he would never have expressed himself that way about Jesus. Additionally, Christ was a character of little significance in the Roman Empire, so it is unlikely that Josephus knew him and considered it important to incorporate him into his work.

2- It is a true testimony, although it has certain phrases added by Christian scribes.

3- It is a testimony completely written by the fist of Flavio Josefo, for which Christian interventions are denied in the story.

Those who take positions two and three consider that the testimony is credible documentary evidence of the existence of Jesus Christ.

Studies affirm that the account of Josephus agrees with what is told in the Gospels.

Work

His fruitful work was written in Greek. In his style, the abundance of rhetoric and literary ornaments stands out, in which a certain veneration for the Hebrew people is evidenced despite their collaboration with the Romans.

In his texts he always wanted to show himself as a historian of the Jews, recounting in detail the life of this people to verify that it was a civilization older than the Greek and the Roman.

The war of the Jews

It is the oldest work of Josephus. It is composed of seven books that Josephus wrote between 75 and 79. It was initially written in Aramaic and later translated into Greek.

This work collects the news and official documents that he collected first-hand on the battlefront during the Vespasian and Titus campaigns. In addition, it has the autobiographical element that makes it a very lively text.

Although his intention with this work was to defend the Jewish people, arguing that only a few tendentious were those who insisted on the revolt, the text is very laudatory for the conqueror.

The War of the Jews so pleased Titus that he ordered it to be printed. This gave Josephus some prestige and prepared him for his next writing.

Judaic Antiquities

In his quest to be the historian of the Hebrew people, he wrote 20 volumes recounting history from creation to Nero's rule. With this work I wanted to show the cultural wealth of the Hebrew people to make it known among Greeks and Romans.

The first ten books contain the oldest history up to Esther, according to what was contemplated in the Old Scriptures. The final part of the work contains the attacks of the other peoples.

This work is the one that contains the references to Jesus and is known as the “Flavian Testimony”. In terms of style, he lacked the neatness of his first work, making it harder to read.

Against Apion

It is an apology for the Hebrews in which he defends the idiosyncrasy of his people against the attacks of Apión, an Alexandrian school teacher with a marked anti-Jewish position.

In this text he vehemently defends the religious and moral principles of the Hebrew people as opposed to the paganism of the Roman Empire. In two volumes he defends the antiquity of the Hebrew versus the Greco-Roman culture and attributes to it philosophical ethical foundations.

This work was written in the year 93 and is also known as On the antiquity of the Jews, highlighting the famous description of the 22 sacred books of Judaism.

It is a key piece to study historical data of the Jewish people, their culture and religion and has important contributions on Ancient Egypt, the Hyksos and the Pharaonic succession.

Autobiography

It is known as The Life of Josephus and it is presumed that it may be an appendix to the work Jewish Antiquities.

Josephus wrote this account between 94 and 99 in response to accusations made by Justus Tiberias for his conduct during the war. In the text he describes his lineage and ancestors, in addition to highlighting his youth experiences and academic training.

It can be noted in the writing that, in a certain way, he defends himself against those who, according to him, slander him, using an extensive narrative of what he has experienced both on his long journeys and on the battlefield.

References

1. "Flavio Josefo" in Biographies and lives. Retrieved on September 26, 2018 from Biographies and life: biografiasyvidas.com
2. “Josephus… A Qualified Historian for His Subject” at Watchtower Online Library. Retrieved on September 26, 2018 from Watchtower Online Library: wol.jw.org
3. "Josephus' Writings and Their Relation to the New Testament" at Bible.org. Retrieved on September 26, 2018 from Bible.org: bible.org.
4. Piñero, Antonio “Flavio Josefo's testimony about Jesus. Jesus and the anti-Roman resistance (XLIII) ”(February 20, 2017) in Trends 21. Retrieved on September 26, 2018 from Trends 21: trends21.net
5. Segura, Miguel "Flavio Josefo: a contradictory and passionate figure" (October 31, 2007) in Tarbut Sefarad, Jewish culture network. Retrieved on September 26, 2018 from Tarbut Sefarad, Jewish culture network: tarbutsefarad.com