The Jewish War by Flavius Josephus & Betty Radice

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About Flavius Josephus

About Betty Radice

Biography

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The Jewish War

» Flavius Josephus

» Betty Radice

Translator - G. A. Williamson

Introduction by - G. A. Williamson

Revised by - E. Mary Smallwood

Penguin Classics
Paperback : 17 Sep 1981

£10.99

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Translated by G. A. Williamson
Revised by Mary Smallwood

Synopsis

‘It is God, then, God Himself who is bringing with the Romans fire to purge the Temple and is blotting out the city, brimful of corruption’

Josephus’ account of a war marked by treachery and atrocity is a superbly detailed and evocative record of the Jewish rebellion against Rome between AD 66 and 70. Originally a rebel leader, Josephus changed sides after he was captured to become a Rome-appointed negotiator, and so was uniquely placed to observe these turbulent events, from the siege of Jerusalem to the final heroic resistance and mass suicides at Masada. His account provides much of what we know about the history of the Jews under Roman rule, with vivid portraits of such key figures as the Emperor Vespasian and Herod the Great. Often self-justifying and divided in its loyalties, The Jewish War nevertheless remains one of the most immediate accounts of war, its heroism and its horrors, ever written.

G. A. Williamson’s translation makes this complex work accessible to the general reader, while E. Mary Smallwood’s revisions bring the benefits of more recent advances in scholarship, making this the definitive edition.

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Table of contents

The Jewish War - Josephus

Foreword to This Edition
Introduction
Josephus' Life
Josephus' Works
Josephus as a Historian

THE JEWISH WAR

Preface
1. Herod's Predecessors
2. Herod's Rise to Power
3. Herod Master of Palestine
4. Herod's Murder of Mariamme and her Children
5. Herod's Murder of his Heir, and Death
6. The Rise and Fall of Archelaus
7. Judaea under Roman Rule
8. War Clouds
9. The Outbreak of War
10. Josephus Governor of Galilee
11. The Coming of Vespasian and Titus
12. Josephus the Prisoner of Vespasian
13. Vespasian's Conquering Advance
14. Factions in Jerusalem
15. Atrocities in the City. Vespasian's Intervention
16. Vespasian Emperor
17. The Siege of Jerusalem - First Stages
18. Two Walls Captured
19. The Horrors of the Siege
20. Antonia Captured and Destroyed
21. The Temple Burnt and the City Taken
22. Jerusalem Destroyed: Roman Celebrations
23. Cleaning-up Operations

Notes
Appendixes:
A. Bandits, Terrorists, Sicarii and Zealots
B. Roman Provincial Administration and Defence
C. Money
D. Josephus' Calendar
E. Qumran
F. The Slavonic Versions of The Jewish War
Chronological Table
Maps and Plans:
The Eastern Mediterranean
Palestine
Jerusalem in A. D. 70
Herod's Temple Enclosure
Herod's Temple
The Herodian Family
Glossary of Technical Terms
Bibliography
Index