(37–100 CE). An historian whose works are the principal and, for certain periods, the only source of knowledge of the late Second Temple period, from the establishment of the Hasmonean rule until the destruction of the Temple. Most importance is attached to his book The Wars of the Jews against Rome and to his comprehensive work The Antiquities of the Jews. The first book describes the war against Rome from 66 to 73 CE, Josephus himself being a witness of the war, first serving as a Jewish commander in the Galilee and later, as a captive and companion of the Roman general after he had surrendered to the Romans. The second book is devoted to the history of the Jews from their first beginnings until the outbreak of the war.
He also wrote two shorter books, Concerning the Antiquities of the Jews, also known as Against Apion, and The Life of Josephus. He wrote Against Apion as a defense of the Jews and their religion in response to the hostile criticisms of the Jew-hater Apion the Alexandrine. In The Life of Josephus he described his life and attempted to prove that he was a sympathizer of Rome.
Most of his books were written after the revolt when he was living in Rome. He wrote in Greek and intended his books to be read by non-Jews as well as Jews who were estranged from their people. One can recognize in his books the spirit of defeat and crisis that overtook their author. Despite this, the books convey the pride of the Jewish author in his people and their culture. Between the lines, they also portray the heroism of those who fought for Jewish freedom.
