The Works of Josephus

The first work in this volume is the chapter on his life. I had no idea that he was a governor, and military commander because even though I have had this book for decades, my only use of this book so far had been when I wanted an additional source to better understand what I had read in the Bible. Here he comes across (by his own account) as someone who readily forgave his lying enemies who had a fresh conspiracy against his life on every page.

The golden calf was totally missing.

I downloaded the Libravox (public domain) recording of the Antiquities of the Jews. But, of the chapters that I listened to, most of them were read by Ann Boulet , who mispronounced Biblical names so badly that I gave up listening to it.

Wars of the Jews was written earlier, and covers some of the same material as Antiquities of the Jews, which comes later in the volume. The continual scene of betrayal after betrayal began to grow old before I finished it.

Against Apion is a welcome change of pace. I especially liked the second book.

There are online editions. Here is one that includes footnotes: http://sacred-texts.com/jud/josephus/index.htm#aoj
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Antiquities; Wars ; Autobiography; Against Apion. also a treatise on Hades. These books took me several months to finish as I mostly read them at night on the Kindle and I would fall asleep. Kindle projected 60 hours.
.... It took longer. Esteemed as the quintessential historian of the first century, Josephus is cited by virtually every author who had written about the Jews since his time. The translator provides excellent footnotes explaining difficult parts. ( )

Logos Library

M10 History and Philosophy

You want to go deeper, understand, and immerse yourself in the Jewish history, culture, and community of Jesus. Let Josephus: The Complete Works open your eyes. Flavius Josephus—first-century Pharisee, Jewish historian, Roman consultant, and writer, documented aspects of life during the time of Christ, giving us extensive writings on ancient Jewish history in existence. By studying Josephus’ works, readers gain a behind-the-scenes look at biblical figures including Abraham, Moses, John the Baptist, and James the brother of Jesus, plus insights into the Dead Sea Scrolls community, Sadducees and Pharisees, the War of the Jews, and beyond.

Features include:

The War of the Jews—an account of the Jewish revolt against Rome up to the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem
The Antiquities of the Jews—a history of the Jews from Creation to the Roman occupation of Palestine
The Life of Flavius Josephus—the autobiography of Josephus, who fought against Rome and later served the empire
Against Apion—a defense of the origin of Judaism in the face of Greco-Roman slanders
Discourse to the Greeks Concerning Hades—a text Whiston attributed to Josephus
Index of parallels between Josephus’s Antiquities and the Old Testament including the Apocrypha
About Flavius Josephus

Josephus was a first-century Pharisee, soldier, informant to the Romans, and writer. He left behind the most extensive writings on ancient Jewish history still in existence.