The Jewish war

Josephus’ account of a war marked by treachery and atrocity is a superbly detailed and evocative record of the Jewish rebellion against Rome between AD 66 and 70. Originally a rebel leader, Josephus changed sides after he was captured to become a Rome-appointed negotiator, and so was uniquely placed to observe these turbulent events, from the siege of Jerusalem to the final heroic resistance and mass suicides at Masada. His account provides much of what we know about the history of the Jews under Roman rule, with vivid portraits of such key figures as the Emperor Vespasian and Herod the Great. Often self-justifying and divided in its loyalties, The Jewish War nevertheless remains one of the most immediate accounts of war, its heroism show more and its horrors, ever written. show less

The Jewish War started strong and I wondered at first if it might hold a candle to Thucydides' History of the Peloponnesian War. It doesn't in the end. Much of it comes across as a piece of special pleading. Josephus wrote the book during a time of growing hostility under Roman Emperor Domitian (reigned 81-96 CE) toward those of the Jewish faith. The Jews had long had an official exemption from participation in the state rites, yet the increasingly tyrannical Domitian firmly believed in the traditional Roman religion, and personally saw to it that ancient customs and morals were observed throughout his reign as a means of justifying the divine nature of Flavian rule. Josephus's friends and protectors, the Flavian emperors Vespasian and show more Titus, were dead by this time. Moreover, Josephus was writing against a work by Justin of Tiberias that portrayed him as an instigator of the revolt in Galilee. So The Jewish War is very much Josephus' apologia. He loses no opportunity to excoriate the character of his fellow Jews, though he grudgingly admires their fighting ability, or to praise the valor, insight, patience, fair play, discipline, and training of the Romans. All the Jews by contrast are murderous banditti who pollute their own sanctuary, and turn on each other in a heinous fratricidal civil war that precedes the arrival of the Romans. The Jewish leaders--John, Simon, the Zealots, the Idumeans--are the scum of the earth. Josephus often uses that very phrase. They, he says, possess no conscience or moral bearing. It all gets to be a bit much in the end. Though the book lacks crucial balance I nevertheless recommend it for two reasons: (1) its uniqueness as a document; and (2) it's detailed and vivid depictions of ancient Judea. Nothing I've read has ever provided me with such a detailed look at both ancient Jerusalem and the broader landscape of Judea. show less

I read the book, not the audio edition, but this is the only entry I could find. Josephus may not be as prone to hyperbole as Herodotus, but it must be close. This edition is based on Josephus' expurgated version, removing all the Jesus references but leaving the impossible facts in. Well, they are included in the appendix. My favoriate part is the exasperated editor's footnotes in increasing disbelief at Josephus' incredulity as the book progresses.

A marvellous edition of one of the greatest books ever written by a historian. This edition contains a lot of photographs and other illustrations and - even more important - extensive first-class commentary.

Josephus is as entertaining a writer, if not more so, than the other popular historians. Some of you may know that Tacitus relates to us some of Josephus' work pertaining to the datum on Jerusalem. Anyone interested in Christianity, Judaism, Rome's conquests, Warfare, or simply being a witness to utter destruction, should read Josephus' "Jewish War". Josephus proves to be as tricky as his intellectual progeny, Machiavelli. He amazes us by out-witting the Romans at every turn and when finally cornered, we are taken aback by his very wise defection to the Romans! What makes him even more of an enjoyable character is his tendancy to exagerrate a bit. I'll leave it to you to find out the details, they are quite worth finding! Enjoy this show more delectable piece of history! show less

This was published in the 1st century for my personal century challenge

This book mainly takes place in Judah, which is in the middle east, which is part of Asia.

I learned that my knowledge of the the siege of Jerusalem by the Roman Empire was incomplete.

Josephus was a first century historian. This book was first published in 75 c.e., just 5 years after the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. Josephus actually fought in the first war with the Romans actually being an influential leader, was captured, and later becomes an adviser to the Roman Emperor Vespasian and his son Titus, members of the Flavian dynasty where Josephus obtained the Flavius name.

This books is also called Wars of the Jews as it covers the history from the show more Capture of Jerusalem in 164 b.c. by Seleucid, all the way to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 c.e.

This is not a book for you unless you love history and are interested in the politics in Judea and Rome during this time, which were tumultuous. The book was difficult as times, as Josephus refers to people by common and single names, and since everyone seemed to have the same name back then, it can make it a bit difficult.

Overall, I loved this work of history. The political struggles in Rome, in Jerusalem, and then the struggles between Rome and Jerusalem are amazing. The final siege against Jerusalem is a tough read, as they experienced a horrible famine which lead to mother even eating their children.

Without Josephus, much of this time would be lost to history. show less

The story of how and why the Romans destroyed Jerusalem in 70 AD four years after a Jewish revolt. The first third of the book is the history of Jerusalem from the middle of the 2nd Century BC to 66 AD. Then in a choice of spectacular short-sightedness they revolted against the Romans and, well, what did you think was going to happen?