Jewish War (Bellum Judaicum)

Josephus’ first literary undertaking was an account of Judaea’s revolt against Rome (ad 66–73). In his introduction to the Greek edition of this seven-volume history—designated for a Graeco-Roman audience—Josephus claims to have composed an earlier version of the work in his native Aramaic tongue intended for readers living beyond the eastern frontiers of Rome’s Empire (1.3, 6). The ambitious scope of the book’s circulation underscores Josephus’ motives for writing it. By the time he issued his Greek version (no earlier than ad 75), many accounts of the conflict had already been published—all of them inadequate in Josephus’ eyes (1.1–2). In particular, he was concerned to prevent his nation from being maligned as a result of their defeat (1.7–8). Josephus’ goal was to set the historical record straight; he also sought to foster sympathy for what was for him the greatest tragedy in his people’s history (1.9–12).

Josephus sets the conflict in a broad historical framework, beginning with Antiochus Epiphanes’ desecration of the temple more than two centuries earlier. This both gave his Gentile readers a lesson in Jewish history, and foreshadowed a central theme of his work—the role of internal political strife as a cause of Jerusalem’s misfortunes (1.33; compare 1.10). The work may be summarized as follows:

• Book 1: The rise and fall of the Hasmonaean Dynasty, followed by the reign of Herod the Great (170–4 bc)

• Book 2: The division of Herod’s kingdom and the beginning of Roman rule, culminating in the outbreak of the revolt and the initial actions of the insurgents (4 bc—ad 67)

• Book 3: Josephus’ defense of Galilee against Vespasian, culminating in the fall of Jotapata (ad 67)

• Book 4: The subjugation of Judaea’s outlying regions by Vespasian, followed by his acclamation as emperor (ad 67–69)

• Book 5: The first half of Titus’ siege of Jerusalem (April—May, ad 70)

• Book 6: The second half of the siege and Jerusalem’s capture (June—Sept, ad 70)

• Book 7: The aftermath of the main conflict and the smaller campaigns that followed, featuring the mass suicide of rebels at Masada (ad 70–73)

As already noted, internal discord (στάσις, stasis) is a recurrent motif in the J.W. Josephus insists that the Jews rebelled against Rome not because they are an intrinsically hostile people, but because their government was hijacked by belligerent leaders who enflamed the passions of the mob out of base motives. However, these “tyrants” (as Josephus calls them) did have genuine grievances. Josephus’ assessment of Rome’s administration of Judaea is grim. He emphasizes the brutality, incompetence, malfeasance, and cultural insensitivity of the empire’s local representatives

Josephus explains the conflict’s outcome as due to God—not Rome. This contrasted with official Flavian propaganda about the war (Edwards, “Religion, Power and Politics;” Overman, “First Revolt”). Just as the biblical prophets explained the First Temple’s destruction as a divine punishment for Israel’s covenantal infidelities (e.g., Jer 7), Josephus explained the Second Temple’s fall as a result of the tyrants’ sacrilegious occupation of the sanctuary and the evils they perpetrated against their own people (Jewish War 4.388; 5.19). Josephus, of course, had been part of the revolutionary government that had organized the revolt in 66. By writing J.W., he condemned others and excused himself.