Research Catalog

Title

Josephus's The Jewish war : a biography / Martin Goodman.

Author

Goodman, Martin, 1953-

Publication

Princeton : Princeton University Press, [2019]

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Description

xi, 186 pages : illustrations, portraits; 21 cm.

Summary

"The Jewish War is Josephus's superbly evocative account of the Jewish revolt against Rome, which was crushed in 70 CE with the siege of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple. Martin Goodman describes the life of this book, from its composition in Greek for a Roman readership to the myriad ways it touched the lives of Jews and Christians over the span of two millennia. The scion of a priestly Jewish family, Josephus became a rebel general at the start of the war. Captured by the enemy general Vespasian, Josephus predicted correctly that Vespasian would be the future emperor of Rome and thus witnessed the final stages of the siege of Jerusalem from the safety of the Roman camp and wrote his history of these cataclysmic events from a comfortable exile in Rome. His history enjoyed enormous popularity among Christians, who saw it as a testimony to the world that gave rise to their faith and a record of the suffering of the Jews due to their rejection of Christ. Jews were hardly aware of the book until the Renaissance. In the nineteenth century, Josephus's history became an important source for recovering Jewish history, yet Jewish enthusiasm for his stories of heroism--such as the doomed defense of Masada--has been tempered by suspicion of a writer who betrayed his own people. Goodman provides a concise biography of one of the greatest war narratives ever written, explaining why Josephus's book continues to hold such fascination today." --

Series Statement

Lives of great religious books

Uniform Title

Lives of great religious books.

Alternative Title

Jewish war, a biography

Subject

• Josephus, Flavius
• Rebellion, Jews (66-73)
• De bello Judaico (Josephus, Flavius)
• 168 B.C.-135 A.D
• Jews > History > 168 B.C.-135 A.D
• Jews > History > Historiography. > Rebellion, 66-73
• Jewish historians > Biography
• Romans > History
• Historiography
• Jewish historians
• Jews
• Romans

Genre/Form

• Biography.
• History.
• Informational works.

Bibliography (note)

• Includes bibliographical references (pages 175-176) and index

Contents

• Beginnings -- Early years (100-1450) -- Rediscovery of the Greek book (1450-1750) -- Controversy -- Epilogue: The present and future of the Jewish war.
• 1 Beginnings; Josephus the Man; The book -- 2 Early Years (100-1450); The book among Early Christians (100-600); The book among Jews (100-1450); Fame in the Christian World (600-1450) -- 3 Rediscovery of the Greek book (1450-1750); Christians 1450-1750; Jews 1450-1750 -- 4 Controversy; Doubts about Josephus; The book among Christians; The book among Jews -- Epilogue: The present and future of the Jewish War -- Appendix: Passages with a Life of Their Own.

Call Number

JFC 20-236

ISBN

• 9780691137391
• 0691137390

LCCN

2019937985

OCLC

1089426782

Author

Goodman, Martin, 1953- author.

Title

Josephus's The Jewish war : a biography / Martin Goodman.

Publisher

Princeton : Princeton University Press, [2019]

Type of Content

text

still image

Type of Medium

unmediated

Type of Carrier

volume

Series

Lives of great religious books

Lives of great religious books.

Bibliography

Includes bibliographical references (pages 175-176) and index

Chronological Term

168 B.C.-135 A.D.

Research Call Number

JFC 20-236