JOSE'I'HUS, FLA'Vl US, the celebrated Jewish historian, was born at Jerusalem A.D. 37. Ilia family was one of very distinguished rank : by his mother's aide he was descended from the Asmonaian princes, and his father Matthias belonged to the chief 'sacerdotal family of the first of the twenty-four courses. Josephus was brought up at Jeri'. salem with his brother Matthias; and, according to his own account, he made such progress In learning that he was frequently consulted at the age of fourteen concerning difficult points in the law. At tho age of sixteen ho resolved to become acquainted with tho opinions of the three principal Jewish sects, namely, those of the Pharisees, Sadd*woes, and Essence. Ile accordingly studied the doctrines of each; but having heard that a celebrated Ketone of the name of Benue lived in an ascetic manner in the desert, Josephus joined him In his solitary mode of life, and passed three years in his society. At the ago of nineteen he again returned to Jerusalem, and embraced the opinions of the Pharisees. In his twenty-sixth year ho sailed to Rome with the view of obtaining the liberation of some priests of his acquaintance, who had been seized by Felix, procurator of Judtea, and sent as captives to Rome. He had the misfortune to bo ship wrecked in the Adriatio; but upon arriving at Puteoli he became acquainted with an actor of the name of Aliturius, through whose means ho was introduced to Popptea, the wife of Nero, who procured the liberation of tho priests, and bestowed many preacnts upon Josephue.
On his return to Jerusalem, Josophus found the greater part of his countrymen preparing for war against the Romans. Being strongly opposed to this measure, he joined himself to that party which was anxious for the preservation of peace. After the defeat of the Roman general Ceatius, and the massacre of the Jewe in Syria and Alexandria, all hope of peace appears' to have been lost ; and Josephus accordingly united himself to tho war party. Being deputed, together with Joarar and Judas, to defend the province of Galilee, ho made vigorous pre parations against the Romans, though his plans were constantly thwarted, and his life frequently in danger from his personal and political enemies. On the approach of Vespasian'a army IU the follow ing year, A.D. 67, Josephua retreated to Jotapata; and after defending the city for forty-soven days against the whole Roman army, he was taken prisoner on the capture of the town : but instead of being put to death, as was the fate of all his companions, he was received by Vespasian with distinguished honour, in consequence of his pretending to the character of a prophet, and artfully predicting that Vespaeiau would shortly succeed Nero in the government of the Roman empire.
He was present with Titus at the siege of Jerusalem, and endeavoured to prevail upon his countrymen to submit to the Romans. After Vespashm succeeded to the purple, he was treated by Titus with still greater honour than before; but by the Jews he was regarded as a renegade, and by the Roman soldiers was looked upon with suspicion.
Ou the taking of the city, Titus offered to grant him anything ho wished. He asked for the sacred books, and the lives of his brother and fifty friends. He received a large estate in Judma ; and upon going
to Rome was admitted to the privileges of a Roman citizen by Vespaaian, who also gave him an annual pension and apartments in his own house. After the death of Vespasian, he continued to live in Rome iu high favour with Titus and Domitian. The time of his death is uncertain ; he was certainly alive at the latter end of the first, and probably at the beginniug of the second, century.
The first work published byJosephus was the history of the 'Jewish War ; it was originally written in the Syro-Chaldaic language for tho use of those Jews who lived beyond the Euphrates. He afterwards translated it into Greek for tho benefit of the learned Itomaus. The 'Jewish War' consists of seven books, and gives an account of the history of the Jews from the taking of Jerusalem by Antiochus Epiphanes to the destruction of the city by Titus. Many yeare after wards, in 93, Joeephua published in Greek his great work on the 'Antiquities of tho Jews,' with the view of increasing the reputation of his nation with the Romans, and of refuting the many calumnies in circulation against the Jews, by giving a faithful accouut of their history and opinions. This work commences, in the same manner as the book of Genesis, with the creation of the world ; and it gives a consecutive account of Jewish history from the birth of Abraham to tho corn inencemeut of the war with the Itomaus. The early part is taken from the books of the Old Testament, with many additions and explanations ; some of which were probably genuine Jewish traditions, but the greater part appear to have been only added by the historian in order to give more importance to his nation, and a greater air of probability to the miraculous occurrences in Jewish history. The 'Antiquities of the Jews' consists of twenty books, and was dedicated to Epaphroditus, a philosopher at Rome.
Josephus also wrote 'Two Books against .Apion,' in reply to those Greeks who questioned the truth of the early part of his work on the ' Antiquities of the Jews.' Ho likewise published an account of his own life in answer to Justus, who had written in Greek an account of the Jewish war, in which he.attacked the character of Josephue.
The best editions of Josephus aro by Hudson, Oxf., 2 vols. folio, 1720; Havcrcamp, Arust, 2 vols. folio; Oberthiir, Ldp., 3 vols. 8vo, 1782.85; Richter, Leip., 6 vols. I2mo, 1826.27; and Dindorf, Paris, 1845. The works of Josephue have been frequeutly translated into most of the modern languages of Europe: the beat translation iu French is by Gillet, Paris, 4 vols. 4to, 1756; that iu Italian by Angiolinl, Verona, 4 vols. 4to, 1779. There are several German trans lations: ono by J. B. Ott, Ziirich, 1736; another by J. F. Cotta, Tubingen, 1736 ; and the 'Jewish War,' by J. B. Frise, Altona, 2 vols. 8vo, 1604-5. The English translationa are—that published at Oxford, 1676, and London, 1683; by L'Eatrange, 1702; and by Whiston,1737. This last has been often reprinted, and is the version in common use, but it is so extremely inaccurate as to be almost worthless : an infinitely superior version in all respects is that by the late Dr. Robert Trail], edited (with numerous valuable notes) by Mr. Isaac Taylor.