Antiquities of the Jews
1905
Here is the book that tells you what the world looked like before Christianity began. Josephus, a Jewish general who defected to Rome and wrote for Greco-Roman audiences, gives us the only substantial independent history of the Jewish people from Creation to the First Jewish-Roman War. The first ten volumes retelling Genesis through the exile rival the Hebrew Bible itself in narrative power. But it's the later volumes that matter most: Josephus provides our earliest outside accounts of Jesus, John the Baptist, and James the brother of Jesus. Without him, we would know almost nothing about the Sadducees, the Pharisees, or the mysterious Essenes. This is the essential companion to the New Testament, the book that illuminates the political and religious world that produced Christianity. It is also a remarkable artifact of cultural translation, one Jewish writer's attempt to explain his people's ancient story to the empire that destroyed their temple.
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“But when he saw that Adam had no female companion, no society, for there was no such created, and that he wondered at the other animals which were male and female, he laid him asleep, and took away one of his ribs, and out of it formed the woman; whereupon Adam knew her when she was brought to him, and acknowledged that she was made out of himself. Now a woman is called in the Hebrew tongue Issa; but the name of this woman was Eve, which signifies the mother of all living.””
— Flavius Josephus
“Now some of the Jews thought that the destruction of Herod's army came from God, and that very justly, as a punishment of what he did against John, that was called the Baptist: for Herod slew him, who was a good man, and commanded the Jews to exercise virtue, both as to righteousness towards one another, and piety towards God, and so to come to baptism; for that the washing [with water] would be acceptable to him, if they made use of it, not in order to the putting away [or the remission] of some sins [only], but for the purification of the body; supposing still that the soul was thoroughly purified beforehand by righteousness. Now when [many] others came in crowds about him, for they were very greatly moved [or pleased] by hearing his words, Herod, who feared lest the great influence John had over the people might put it into his power and inclination to raise a rebellion, [for they seemed ready to do any thing he should advise,] thought it best, by putting him to death, to prevent any mischief he might cause, and not bring himself into difficulties, by sparing a man who might make him repent of it when it would be too late. Accordingly he was sent a prisoner, out of Herod's suspicious temper, to Macherus, the castle I before mentioned, and was there put to death. Now the Jews had an opinion that the destruction of this army was sent as a punishment upon Herod, and a mark of God's displeasure to him.””
— Flavius Josephus
“The Key to the answers to all the questions of Life - all the blessings and curses of the World - lie not in men's hearts, but in their bones. as quoted in 'The Bone Key Curse'(2008)””
— Flavius Josephus
“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, 9 those that loved him at the first did not forsake him; for he appeared to them alive again the third day; 10 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.””
— Flavius Josephus
“for he appeared to them alive again the third day; (10) 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.””
— Flavius Josephus
“Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man;””
— Flavius Josephus
“He also said he would be revenged on God, if he should have a mind to drown the world again; for that he would build a tower too high for the waters to be able to reach! and that he would avenge himself on God for destroying their forefathers!””
— Flavius Josephus
“for that wars are then managed the best when the warriors preserve a good conscience;””
— Flavius Josephus
“I once, indeed, thought it best not to set down the names of this family, especially because of their difficult pronunciation, [by the Greeks;] but, upon the whole, I think it necessary to mention those names, that I may disprove such as believe that we came not originally from Mesopotamia, but are Egyptians. Now””
— Flavius Josephus
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Josephus, Flavius. Antiquities of the Jews. Lex, lex-books.com/book/antiquities-of-the-jews-178b8307-5fc9-408b-a0e2-451c221826c0.Josephus, F. (1905). Antiquities of the Jews. Lex. https://lex-books.com/book/antiquities-of-the-jews-178b8307-5fc9-408b-a0e2-451c221826c0Josephus, Flavius. Antiquities of the Jews. Lex. https://lex-books.com/book/antiquities-of-the-jews-178b8307-5fc9-408b-a0e2-451c221826c0.
