August 18, 2025 • 17 mins
Discover the fascinating insights of Josephus in this collection, featuring three compelling parts. (1) Against Apion serves as a robust two-volume defense of Judaism, contrasting its ancient roots with the more recent traditions of the Greeks. Josephus tackles anti-Judean claims made by the Greek writer Apion and addresses myths attributed to Manetho. (2) Discourse To The Greeks Concerning Hades explores Josephuss perspectives on the afterlife, countering the predominant beliefs of his Greco-Roman contemporaries. This discourse, while traditionally linked to Josephus, has been more accurately reassigned to the church father Hippolytus in later scholarship. (3) The Life of Josephus, penned around 94-99 CE, offers an autobiographical glimpse into the authors life, revisiting pivotal events of the War in response to criticisms from Justus of Tiberias. Immerse yourself in this rich tapestry of history, philosophy, and personal reflection.
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Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Part seven of the Life of Josephus. This is a
LibriVox recording. All Librivax recordings are in the public domain.
For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
Recording by Simon Wainwright. The Life of Josephus by Flavius Josephus,
(00:28):
translated by William Wiston. Part seven. Now Jesus, who was
the ruler, commanded that they should exclude all that came
with me, for he kept the door himself and suffered
none but his friends to go in. And while we
were engaged in the duties of the day and had
(00:50):
betaken ourselves to our prayers, Jesus got up and inquired
of me what was become of the vessels that were
taken out of the king's palace when it was burnt down,
and of the uncoined silver? And in whose possession they
(01:12):
now were? This? He said, in order to drive away
time till John should come. I said that Capitalus and
the ten principal men of Tiberius had them all, and
I told him that they might ask them whether I
told a lie or not. And when they said they
(01:34):
had them, he asked me, what is become of those
twenty pieces of gold which thou didst receive upon the
sale of a certain weight of uncoined money. I replied
that I had given them to those ambassadors of Theirs
as a maintenance for them when they were sent by
(01:57):
them to Jerusalem. So and his colleagues said that I
had not done well to pay the ambassadors out of
the public money. And when the multitude were very angry
at them for this, for they perceived the wickedness of
the men, I understood that a tumult was going to arise, and,
(02:22):
being desirous to provoke the people to a greater rage
against the men, I said, but if I have not
done well in paying our ambassadors out of the public stock,
leave off your anger at me, for I will repay
the twenty pieces of gold myself. When I had said this,
(02:45):
Jonathan and his colleagues held their peace, but the people
were still more irritated against them upon their openly showing
their unjust ill will to me. When Jesus saw this
change and file people, he ordered them to depart, but
desired the Senate to stay, for that they could not
(03:10):
examine things of such a nature and a tumult. And
as the people were crying out that they would not
leave me alone. There came one and told Jesus and
his friends privately that John and his armed men were
at hand. Whereupon Jonathan and his colleagues being able to
(03:30):
contain themselves no longer, and perhaps the providence of God
hereby procuring my deliverance. For had not this been so,
I had certainly been destroyed by John. Said, O, you
people of Tiberius, leave off this inquiry about the twenty
pieces of gold, for Josephus hath not deserved to die
(03:55):
for them, but he hath deserved it by his desire
of tyrany, and by cheating the multitude of the Galileans
with his speeches in order to gain the dominion over them.
When he had said this, they presently laid hands upon
me and endeavored to kill me. But as soon as
(04:16):
those that were with me saw what they did, they
drew their swords and threatened to smite them if they
offered any violence to me. The people also took up
stones and were about to throw them at Jonathan, and
so they snatched me from the violence of my enemies.
(04:36):
But as I was gone out a little way, I
was just upon meeting John, who was marching with his
armed men. So I was afraid of him, and turned
aside and escaped by a narrow passage to the lake,
and seized on a ship and embarked in it, and
sailed over to Tarches. So beyond my expt I escaped
(05:01):
this danger. Whereupon I presently sent for the chief of
the Galileans and told them after what manner, against all
faith given, I had been very near to destruction from
Jonathan and his colleagues and the people of Tiberius, upon
which the multitude of the Galileans were very angry, and
(05:24):
encouraged me to delay no longer to make war upon them,
but to permit them to go against John and utterly
to destroy him, as well as Jonathan and his colleagues. However,
I restrained them, though they were in such a rage,
and desired them to tarry a while till we should
(05:46):
be informed what orders those ambassadors that were sent by
them to the city of Jerusalem should bring. Thence for
I told them that it was best for them to
act according to their determination. Whereupon they were prevailed on,
at which time also John, when the snares he had
(06:10):
late did not take effect, returned back to Geshalah. Now,
in a few days those ambassadors whom he had sent
came back again and informed us that the people were
greatly provoked at Annanis and Simon, the son of Gamliel
and their friends, that without any public determination, they had
(06:34):
sent to Galilee and had done their endeavors that I
might be turned out of the government. The ambassador said
further that the people were ready to burn their houses.
They also brought letters, whereby the chief men of Jerusalem,
at the earnest petition of the people, confirmed me in
(06:55):
the government of Galilee and enjoined Jonathan and his colleagues
to return home quickly. When I had gotten these letters,
I came to the village of Bella, where I procured
an assembly of the Galileans to meet and bid the
ambassadors declared to them the anger of the people of
Jerusalem at what had been done by Jonathan and his colleagues,
(07:20):
and how much they hated their wicked doings, and how
they had confirmed me in the government of their country,
as also what related to the order they had in
writing from Jonathan and his colleagues to return home. So
I immediately sent them the letter and bid him that
(07:41):
carried it to inquire as well as he could how
they intended to act on this occasion. Now, when they
had received that letter, and were thereby greatly disturbed, they
sent for John, and for the senators of Tiberius, and
for the principal men of the Gaberians, and proposed to
(08:03):
hold a council, and desired them to consider what was
to be done by them. However, the governors of Tiberius
were greatly disposed to keep the government to themselves, for
they said it was not fit to desert their city
now it was committed to their trust, and that otherwise
(08:23):
I should not delay to fall upon them, for they
pretended falsely that so I had threatened to do. Now,
John was not only of their opinion, but advised them
that two of them should go to accuse me before
the multitude at Jerusalem, that I do not manage the
affairs of Galilee as I ought to do, and that
(08:46):
they would easily persuade the people because of their dignity,
and because the whole multitude are very mutable. When therefore
it appeared that John had suggested the wisest had them.
They resolved that two of them, Jonathan and Anonaeus should
go to the people of Jerusalem, and the other two
(09:09):
Simon and Joey Czar, should be left behind to terry
at Tiberius. They also took along with them a hundred
soldiers for their guard. However, the governors of Tiberius took
care to have their city secured with walls, and commanded
their inhabitants to take their arms. They also sent for
(09:30):
a great many soldiers from John to assist them against
me if there should be occasion for them. Now John
was at Geshaala. Jonathan therefore and those that were with
him when they were departed from Tiberius, and as soon
as they were come to the Barrita, a village that
(09:52):
lay in the utmost parts of Galilee and the great Plain,
they about midnight fell among the guards I had set,
who both commanded them to lay aside their weapons and
keep them in bonds upon the place, as I had
charged them to do. This news was written to me
(10:12):
by Levi, who had the command of that guard committed
to him by me. Hereupon I said nothing of it
for two days, and, pretending to know nothing about it,
I sent a message to the people of Tiberius and
advised them to lay down their arms aside, and to
dismiss their men, that they might go home. But supposing
(10:36):
that Jonathan and those that were with him were already
arrived at Jerusalem, they made reproachful answers to me. Yet
was I not terrified thereby, but contrived another stratagem against them,
for I did not think it agreeable with piety to
kindle the fire of war against the citizens. As I
(10:59):
was desired to draw those men away from Tiberius, I
chose out ten thousand of the best of my armed men,
and divided them into three bodies, and ordered them to
go privately and lie still as an ambush in the villages.
I also led a thousand into another village, which lay
(11:20):
indeed in the mountains, as did the others, but only
four furlongs distance from Tiberius, and gave orders that when
they saw my signal, they should come down immediately. While
I myself lay with my soldiers in the sight of
everybody Hereupon, the people of Tiberius, at the sight of me,
(11:43):
came running out of the city perpetually and abused me greatly. Nay,
their madness was come to that height that they made
a decent buyer for me, and standing about it, they
mourned over me in the way of jest and sport,
(12:03):
and I could not but be myself in a pleasant humor.
Upon the sight of this madness of theirs, and now
being desirous to catch Simon by a while, and joe
Azar with him, I sent a message to them and
desired them to come a little way out of the city,
(12:26):
and many of their friends to guard them, For I
said I would come down to them and make a
league with them, and divide the government of Galilee with them. Accordingly,
Simon was deluded on account of his imprudence and out
of the hopes of gain, and did not delay to come.
(12:46):
But joe Azar, suspecting snares were laid for him, stayed behind.
So when Simon was come out, and his friends with
him for his guard, I met him and saluted him
with great civility, and professed that I was obliged to
him for his coming up to me. But a little
(13:06):
while afterward I walked along with him as though I
would say something to him by myself, And when I
had drawn him a good way from his friends, I
took him about the middle and gave him to my
friends that were with me to carry him into a village,
and commanding my armed men to come down, I with
(13:28):
them made an assault upon Tiberius. Now, as the fight
grew hot on both sides, and the soldiers belonging to
Tiberius were in a fair way to conquer me, for
my armed men were already fled away. I saw the
posture of my affairs, and encouraging those that were with me,
(13:50):
I pursued those of Tiberius even when they were already
conquerors into the city. I also sent another band of
soldiers into the city by the late and gave them
orders to set on fire the first house they could
seize upon. When this was done, the people of Tiberius
thought that their city was taken by force, and so
(14:13):
threw down their arms for fear, and implored they their
wives and children that I would spare their city. So
I was over persuaded by their entreaties and restrained the
soldiers from the vehemency with which they pursued them, while
I myself, upon the coming on of the evening, returned
(14:36):
back with my soldiers and went to refresh myself. I
also invited Simon to sup with me and comforted him
on occasion of what had happened, and I promised that
I would send him safe and secure to Jerusalem, and
with aw would give him provisions for his journey thither.
(14:57):
But on the next day I brought ten thousand armed
men with me and came to Tiberius. I then sent
for the principal men of the multitude in the public place,
and enjoined them to tell me who were the authors
of the revolt. And when they told me who the
men were, I sent them bound to the city of Toutapata.
(15:22):
But as to Jonathan and Anonaeus, I freed them from
their bonds and gave them provisions for their journey, together
with Simon and Joazar, and five hundred armed men who
should guard them. And so I sent them to Jerusalem.
The people of Tiberius also came to me again and
(15:44):
desired that I would forgive them for what they had done.
And they said they would amend what they had done
amiss with regard to me by their fidelity for the
time to come. And they besought me to preserve what
spoils remained upon the plunder of the city for those
(16:06):
that had lost them. Accordingly, I enjoined those that had
got them to bring them all before us, And when
they did not comply for a great while, and I
saw one of the soldiers that were about me with
a garment on that was more splendid than ordinary, I
asked him whence he had it, And when he replied
(16:29):
that he had it out of the plunder of the city,
I had him punished with stripes. And I threatened all
the rest to inflict severer punishment upon them unless they
produced before us whatsoever they had plundered. And when a
great many spoils were brought together, I restored to every
(16:50):
one of Tiberius what they claimed to be their own.
End of Part seven
Part seven of the Life of Josephus. This is a
LibriVox recording. All Librivax recordings are in the public domain.
For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
Recording by Simon Wainwright. The Life of Josephus by Flavius Josephus,
(00:28):
translated by William Wiston. Part seven. Now Jesus, who was
the ruler, commanded that they should exclude all that came
with me, for he kept the door himself and suffered
none but his friends to go in. And while we
were engaged in the duties of the day and had
(00:50):
betaken ourselves to our prayers, Jesus got up and inquired
of me what was become of the vessels that were
taken out of the king's palace when it was burnt down,
and of the uncoined silver? And in whose possession they
(01:12):
now were? This? He said, in order to drive away
time till John should come. I said that Capitalus and
the ten principal men of Tiberius had them all, and
I told him that they might ask them whether I
told a lie or not. And when they said they
(01:34):
had them, he asked me, what is become of those
twenty pieces of gold which thou didst receive upon the
sale of a certain weight of uncoined money. I replied
that I had given them to those ambassadors of Theirs
as a maintenance for them when they were sent by
(01:57):
them to Jerusalem. So and his colleagues said that I
had not done well to pay the ambassadors out of
the public money. And when the multitude were very angry
at them for this, for they perceived the wickedness of
the men, I understood that a tumult was going to arise, and,
(02:22):
being desirous to provoke the people to a greater rage
against the men, I said, but if I have not
done well in paying our ambassadors out of the public stock,
leave off your anger at me, for I will repay
the twenty pieces of gold myself. When I had said this,
(02:45):
Jonathan and his colleagues held their peace, but the people
were still more irritated against them upon their openly showing
their unjust ill will to me. When Jesus saw this
change and file people, he ordered them to depart, but
desired the Senate to stay, for that they could not
(03:10):
examine things of such a nature and a tumult. And
as the people were crying out that they would not
leave me alone. There came one and told Jesus and
his friends privately that John and his armed men were
at hand. Whereupon Jonathan and his colleagues being able to
(03:30):
contain themselves no longer, and perhaps the providence of God
hereby procuring my deliverance. For had not this been so,
I had certainly been destroyed by John. Said, O, you
people of Tiberius, leave off this inquiry about the twenty
pieces of gold, for Josephus hath not deserved to die
(03:55):
for them, but he hath deserved it by his desire
of tyrany, and by cheating the multitude of the Galileans
with his speeches in order to gain the dominion over them.
When he had said this, they presently laid hands upon
me and endeavored to kill me. But as soon as
(04:16):
those that were with me saw what they did, they
drew their swords and threatened to smite them if they
offered any violence to me. The people also took up
stones and were about to throw them at Jonathan, and
so they snatched me from the violence of my enemies.
(04:36):
But as I was gone out a little way, I
was just upon meeting John, who was marching with his
armed men. So I was afraid of him, and turned
aside and escaped by a narrow passage to the lake,
and seized on a ship and embarked in it, and
sailed over to Tarches. So beyond my expt I escaped
(05:01):
this danger. Whereupon I presently sent for the chief of
the Galileans and told them after what manner, against all
faith given, I had been very near to destruction from
Jonathan and his colleagues and the people of Tiberius, upon
which the multitude of the Galileans were very angry, and
(05:24):
encouraged me to delay no longer to make war upon them,
but to permit them to go against John and utterly
to destroy him, as well as Jonathan and his colleagues. However,
I restrained them, though they were in such a rage,
and desired them to tarry a while till we should
(05:46):
be informed what orders those ambassadors that were sent by
them to the city of Jerusalem should bring. Thence for
I told them that it was best for them to
act according to their determination. Whereupon they were prevailed on,
at which time also John, when the snares he had
(06:10):
late did not take effect, returned back to Geshalah. Now,
in a few days those ambassadors whom he had sent
came back again and informed us that the people were
greatly provoked at Annanis and Simon, the son of Gamliel
and their friends, that without any public determination, they had
(06:34):
sent to Galilee and had done their endeavors that I
might be turned out of the government. The ambassador said
further that the people were ready to burn their houses.
They also brought letters, whereby the chief men of Jerusalem,
at the earnest petition of the people, confirmed me in
(06:55):
the government of Galilee and enjoined Jonathan and his colleagues
to return home quickly. When I had gotten these letters,
I came to the village of Bella, where I procured
an assembly of the Galileans to meet and bid the
ambassadors declared to them the anger of the people of
Jerusalem at what had been done by Jonathan and his colleagues,
(07:20):
and how much they hated their wicked doings, and how
they had confirmed me in the government of their country,
as also what related to the order they had in
writing from Jonathan and his colleagues to return home. So
I immediately sent them the letter and bid him that
(07:41):
carried it to inquire as well as he could how
they intended to act on this occasion. Now, when they
had received that letter, and were thereby greatly disturbed, they
sent for John, and for the senators of Tiberius, and
for the principal men of the Gaberians, and proposed to
(08:03):
hold a council, and desired them to consider what was
to be done by them. However, the governors of Tiberius
were greatly disposed to keep the government to themselves, for
they said it was not fit to desert their city
now it was committed to their trust, and that otherwise
(08:23):
I should not delay to fall upon them, for they
pretended falsely that so I had threatened to do. Now,
John was not only of their opinion, but advised them
that two of them should go to accuse me before
the multitude at Jerusalem, that I do not manage the
affairs of Galilee as I ought to do, and that
(08:46):
they would easily persuade the people because of their dignity,
and because the whole multitude are very mutable. When therefore
it appeared that John had suggested the wisest had them.
They resolved that two of them, Jonathan and Anonaeus should
go to the people of Jerusalem, and the other two
(09:09):
Simon and Joey Czar, should be left behind to terry
at Tiberius. They also took along with them a hundred
soldiers for their guard. However, the governors of Tiberius took
care to have their city secured with walls, and commanded
their inhabitants to take their arms. They also sent for
(09:30):
a great many soldiers from John to assist them against
me if there should be occasion for them. Now John
was at Geshaala. Jonathan therefore and those that were with
him when they were departed from Tiberius, and as soon
as they were come to the Barrita, a village that
(09:52):
lay in the utmost parts of Galilee and the great Plain,
they about midnight fell among the guards I had set,
who both commanded them to lay aside their weapons and
keep them in bonds upon the place, as I had
charged them to do. This news was written to me
(10:12):
by Levi, who had the command of that guard committed
to him by me. Hereupon I said nothing of it
for two days, and, pretending to know nothing about it,
I sent a message to the people of Tiberius and
advised them to lay down their arms aside, and to
dismiss their men, that they might go home. But supposing
(10:36):
that Jonathan and those that were with him were already
arrived at Jerusalem, they made reproachful answers to me. Yet
was I not terrified thereby, but contrived another stratagem against them,
for I did not think it agreeable with piety to
kindle the fire of war against the citizens. As I
(10:59):
was desired to draw those men away from Tiberius, I
chose out ten thousand of the best of my armed men,
and divided them into three bodies, and ordered them to
go privately and lie still as an ambush in the villages.
I also led a thousand into another village, which lay
(11:20):
indeed in the mountains, as did the others, but only
four furlongs distance from Tiberius, and gave orders that when
they saw my signal, they should come down immediately. While
I myself lay with my soldiers in the sight of
everybody Hereupon, the people of Tiberius, at the sight of me,
(11:43):
came running out of the city perpetually and abused me greatly. Nay,
their madness was come to that height that they made
a decent buyer for me, and standing about it, they
mourned over me in the way of jest and sport,
(12:03):
and I could not but be myself in a pleasant humor.
Upon the sight of this madness of theirs, and now
being desirous to catch Simon by a while, and joe
Azar with him, I sent a message to them and
desired them to come a little way out of the city,
(12:26):
and many of their friends to guard them, For I
said I would come down to them and make a
league with them, and divide the government of Galilee with them. Accordingly,
Simon was deluded on account of his imprudence and out
of the hopes of gain, and did not delay to come.
(12:46):
But joe Azar, suspecting snares were laid for him, stayed behind.
So when Simon was come out, and his friends with
him for his guard, I met him and saluted him
with great civility, and professed that I was obliged to
him for his coming up to me. But a little
(13:06):
while afterward I walked along with him as though I
would say something to him by myself, And when I
had drawn him a good way from his friends, I
took him about the middle and gave him to my
friends that were with me to carry him into a village,
and commanding my armed men to come down, I with
(13:28):
them made an assault upon Tiberius. Now, as the fight
grew hot on both sides, and the soldiers belonging to
Tiberius were in a fair way to conquer me, for
my armed men were already fled away. I saw the
posture of my affairs, and encouraging those that were with me,
(13:50):
I pursued those of Tiberius even when they were already
conquerors into the city. I also sent another band of
soldiers into the city by the late and gave them
orders to set on fire the first house they could
seize upon. When this was done, the people of Tiberius
thought that their city was taken by force, and so
(14:13):
threw down their arms for fear, and implored they their
wives and children that I would spare their city. So
I was over persuaded by their entreaties and restrained the
soldiers from the vehemency with which they pursued them, while
I myself, upon the coming on of the evening, returned
(14:36):
back with my soldiers and went to refresh myself. I
also invited Simon to sup with me and comforted him
on occasion of what had happened, and I promised that
I would send him safe and secure to Jerusalem, and
with aw would give him provisions for his journey thither.
(14:57):
But on the next day I brought ten thousand armed
men with me and came to Tiberius. I then sent
for the principal men of the multitude in the public place,
and enjoined them to tell me who were the authors
of the revolt. And when they told me who the
men were, I sent them bound to the city of Toutapata.
(15:22):
But as to Jonathan and Anonaeus, I freed them from
their bonds and gave them provisions for their journey, together
with Simon and Joazar, and five hundred armed men who
should guard them. And so I sent them to Jerusalem.
The people of Tiberius also came to me again and
(15:44):
desired that I would forgive them for what they had done.
And they said they would amend what they had done
amiss with regard to me by their fidelity for the
time to come. And they besought me to preserve what
spoils remained upon the plunder of the city for those
(16:06):
that had lost them. Accordingly, I enjoined those that had
got them to bring them all before us, And when
they did not comply for a great while, and I
saw one of the soldiers that were about me with
a garment on that was more splendid than ordinary, I
asked him whence he had it, And when he replied
(16:29):
that he had it out of the plunder of the city,
I had him punished with stripes. And I threatened all
the rest to inflict severer punishment upon them unless they
produced before us whatsoever they had plundered. And when a
great many spoils were brought together, I restored to every
(16:50):
one of Tiberius what they claimed to be their own.
End of Part seven
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