JOSEPHUS, FLAVIUS, the celebrated Jewish historian, was born at Jerusalem, A.D. 37, in the first year of Caius (Calig,u1a). His father was a priest of the first course, and his mother belonged to the royal Asmonan family; he appeals to pub lic documents in proof of his genealogy, at which some of his cotemporaries seem to have sneered (Bios, ed. Havercarnp, t, sec. 1). The only au thority for the outline of his life is his own self-lau datory autobiography ; but in spite of the egregious vanity which marks every page of that perform ance, he does not seem to have wilfully perveited any facts. He tells us that even at the age of four teen he was so remarkable for learning that even the high-priests and chief men of the city came to inquire* of him about minute questions of the law. After a careful examination of the tenets held by the three chief sects of Jews—Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenes—and after residing three years in the desert with the ascetic eremite Banns, he embraced Pharisaism, which, he says, resembled the Stoic philosophy ( Vit. 2). At the age of twenty-six (A.D. 63) he sailed to Rome to plead the cause of some imprisoned Jewish priests. Like St. Paul he was shipwrecked, but after a night's swimming (cf. 2 Cor. xi. 25) t was picked up by a Cyrenian vessel, and through the friendship of the actor Aliturus obtained the patronage of Poppea, who gained his cause for him, and dismissed him with great gifts ( 3 ; cf. Anti xx. 8. t). About the time of his return (A.D. 66) the Jewish insurrection broke out, the causes of which he very obscurely describes, although the greater part of his autobiography, as well as much of the book on the Jewish war, is occupied with this portion of his history. Al though he despaired from the first, and advised his countrymen to submission, he accepted the com mand in Galilee, and has given us a most graphic account of the numerous plots and perils in which he was entangled durin,g the brilliant and stormy period of his life as a general ( 4-74). After displaying consummate courage and ability in putting Galilee in a state of defence, and in resist ing the Romans, he finally threw himself into Jotapata, which was taken after a splendid defence of forty-seven days. He hid himself with forty
others in a cave, and, being betrayed, refused to surrender on a promise of safety. Against his wishes they all determined to commit suicide, but at his proposal finally agreed to kill each other by lot, when (by whatever means) he and another alone survived. They surrendered to the Romans, and Vespasian put him in chains, intending to send him to Nero, a fate which he avoided by prophesy ing (for he distinctly claims a prophetic gift, Bell. yucl. iii. 8. 9) Vespasian's future elevation to the purple. After three years of lenient imprisonment (A.D. 7o) his prophecy came true, and his chains were cut off by order of Titus (Bell. To. 7).
He took part in the siege of Jerusalem, and was once struck senseless by a stone while urging the Jews to surrender. He was enabled by the patron age of Titus to save the lives of his brother and fifty other Jews, and to rescue from destruction a valuable copy of the Scriptures. Detested as he was, and suspected of double treachery both by Jews and Romans, subjected to endless accusations and attacks, his life must have been sufficiently burdensome, but the position of a renegade was rendered supportable by imperial favour, and pro bably by unlimited self-approbation. After the fall of Jerusalem he lived as a court-pensioner, comfortably following his literary pursuits, and stir viving till the early years of Trojan's reign (about A.D. 103) in contented and wealthy infamy. For all these facts, and many others of a more directly personal character, such as his three marriages, the names of his sons, etc., see the seventy-six chapters of his life, and the following passages of his other works, C. Apion. i. 9. lo ; yud. i.; Proceni 11. 20. 3, sm., 21. 2, sqq. ; 7. 13, sm., S. r, 9 ; vi. 5 ; Antic. ed. Havercamp, vol. i., pp. 5, 228, 536, 345, 682, 982 ; Suid., s.v. '1therwros.