perhaps felt did not show the Jewish ancestors in a particularly favourable light, such as the Judah and Tamar incident (Gen. 38:1–30), Moses slaying an Egyptian (Exod. 2:11–12) and the making of the golden calf (Exod. 32:1–35). More frequently, however, Josephus expands the scriptural account with numerous interpretative and moralizing additions. These enable him to clarify ambiguities, explain difficult passages and answer questions which may have occurred to an educated contemporary reader, like