Josephus's Interpretation of the BibleJosephus (A.D. 37-?100), a pro-Roman Jew closely associated with the emperor Titus, is the earliest systematic commentator on the Bible, as well as one of the foremost historians of the beginning of the Christian era. Politically, Josephus was pro-Roman, and although he had no sympathy for extreme Jewish nationalism, he was a zealous defender of Jewish religion and culture. Louis H. Feldman examines the principles that guided Josephus in his understanding of the Bible, investigating his creative contribution in the rewriting of biblical accounts. This comprehensive study evaluates Josephus as a historian and demonstrates the originality and consistency of his work as an author. The first part of Feldman's work attempts to understand Josephus's purposes and techniques in retelling the Bible. The second part reviews Josephus's treatment of twelve key biblical figures. In addition to its reevaluation of an important early historian, this unique compendium provides a mine of information on the reassessment of the most important biblical figures. |
Contents
PREFACE | i |
HELLENISTIC CULTURE AND SOCIETY | ii |
This | iii |
| vi | |
CONTENTS | xi |
PREFACE | xiii |
University of California Press | 2 |
CONTENTS | 7 |
CHAPTER THIRTEEN | 490 |
CHAPTER FOURTEEN | 509 |
CHAPTER FIFTEEN | 537 |
CHAPTER SIXTEEN | 570 |
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN | 629 |
CONCLUSION | 659 |
ABBREVIATIONS | 671 |
BIBLIOGRAPHY | 675 |
PREFACE | 9 |
CHAPTER TWO | 14 |
CHAPTER THREE | 86 |
Hezekiah | 91 |
CHAPTER FOUR | 132 |
CHAPTER FIVE | 163 |
CHAPTER SIX | 223 |
CHAPTER SEVEN | 290 |
CHAPTER EIGHT | 304 |
CHAPTER EIGHT | 307 |
CHAPTER NINE | 335 |
CHAPTER TEN | 374 |
CHAPTER ELEVEN | 443 |
CHAPTER TWELVE | 461 |
PASSAGES FROM ANCIENT WRITERS | 703 |
APOCRYPHA PSEUDEPIGRAPHA | 721 |
NEW TESTAMENT | 725 |
JOSEPHUS | 727 |
PHILO AND PSEUDOPHILO | 753 |
OTHER GRAECOJEWISH WRITERS | 759 |
RABBINIC LITERATURE | 761 |
CHRISTIAN CHURCH FATHERS | 771 |
INSCRIPTIONS AND PAPYRI | 773 |
CLASSICAL GREEK AUTHORS | 775 |
CLASSICAL LATIN AUTHORS | 789 |
GENERAL INDEX | 793 |
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Common terms and phrases
Abimelech Abraham aggada angel Antiquities Apion Apollonius Molon appears Aqedah Artapanus Berossus biblical biblical narrative biblical text brothers century B.C.E. Chron cites Daniel David declares Dionysius of Halicarnassus divine dreams Egypt Egyptians emphasizes episode Esau Euripides Exod extrabiblical addition fact that Josephus father Feldman Flavius Josephus Genesis Rabbah Ginzberg Greek Hebrew Hebrew text Hellenistic Hence hero Herodotus historian inasmuch indication interpretation Isaac Israelites Jacob Jerusalem Jewish Jews Jose Josephus adds Josephus omits Josephus stresses Josephus's version Josh Joshua Judg justice king L-rd laws likewise mention merely Midrash miracle Moreover Moses non-Jews noted Oedipus parallel paraphrase particularly passage Pharaoh Philistines Philo phus phus's piety portrait presumably priest prophet Pseudo-Philo rabbinic tradition rabbis readers reference remarks Roman Rome sacrifice Samson Samuel Saul Saul's Septuagint Solomon statement Stoic Tanhuma Targum Temple Thucydides told virtue Vita Mosis whereas Josephus whereas the Bible wife wisdom word