Jerusalem’s Traitor: Josephus, Masada, and the Fall of Judea by Desmond Seward (PDF)

Description

When the Jews revolted against Rome in 66 CE, Josephus, a Jerusalem aristocrat, was made a general in his nation’s army. Captured by the Romans, he saved his skin by finding favor with the emperor Vespasian. He then served as an adviser to the Roman legions, running a network of spies inside Jerusalem, in the belief that the Jews’ only hope of survival lay in surrender to Rome.As a Jewish eyewitness who was given access to Vespasian’s campaign notebooks, Josephus is our only source of information for the war of extermination that ended in the destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple, and the amazing times in which he lived. He is of vital importance for anyone interested in the Middle East, Jewish history, and the early history of Christianity.

User’s Reviews

Editorial Reviews: Review Booklist, 5/15/09 “A very dynamic narrative pitched to general readers…[who] discover through Seward’s apt interrogation how valuable a resource Josephus is for scholars…Considering the symbolism this particular was acquired for the subsequent Jewish story. Seward’s astute interpretation and vivid re-creation is a popular-history imperative.” Library Journal, 5/1/09 “A lively and descriptive summary of Josephus’s life and works…A readable synopsis for generally educated readers…This text would be appropriate for most general readers.”Jewish Herald-Voice, 5/14/09 “[Seward] is quite good at handling secondary sources and writing for nonspecialists.”Washington Jewish Week, 6/4/09 “This book was written for non-historians interested in this important period of Jewish history. For them, it is highly recommended.”Jewish Star, 6/12/09 “This book is a good resource for getting to know this important aspect of a sad era in our history.”Jewish Journal, July 2009 “[A] gripping biography.”7/24/09 “Offers an introduction to the life and times of the first-century author of The Jewish War…[A] gripping biography…[A] vivid account.”Augusta Metro Spirit, 7/29/09 “Provides a thorough examination of the life of Josephus…A fascinating story, a social and cultural history lesson, and a portrait of an important figure.”The Advocate(TN), 7/11/09 “Seward tells the unvarnished truth…This is first rate history, first rate biography.”Milwaukee Shepherd-Express, 8/7/09 “Desmond Seward’s study of Josephus…is interesting less for what it says about this murky figure than for its vivid sketch of Palestine at a crucial time.”Collected Miscellany, 8/12/09 “A compelling story of the life of Josephus as it relates to the first century history of Judea and the Roman Empire…Seward brings an objective eye to his analysis of Josephus…Seward easily discerns Josephus’ biases and the biases of his critics…The book is a quick read because of Seward’s easy-to-read writing style.” History in Review, 9/1 “Writing with the flare of a novelist, Seward not only brings Josephus to life, but also crafts a vivid picture of what caused the Jewish Revolt of 66, the Roman response, and the ongoing conflict which was to influence Jewish history and culture for generations to follow…An insightful biography… Through Josephus, Seward has provided us with a window through which to view the events of this period and their long term consequence…Popular history at its best. Seward tells a rousing tale, one that is well researched and insightful, yet without any of the pedantic word play that often turns readers away from history books.” About the Author Desmond Seward is the author of many books, including The Monks of War, The Hundred Years War, and Eleanor of Aquitaine. He lives in London.

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐This is a biography of a Josephus combined with a history of the conquest of Judea, ending in the siege of Jerusalem and then Madada.This is another book that deserves 4.5 stars. I would have said five if it had presented and supported a strong thesis. Instead it was purely historical, mostly based on the writings of Joseph us himself, Tacitus, and a few modern historians.I rated it very high because, for whatever reason, I couldn’t put it down. It was a dramatic tale I had to watch.It was very well written and I am now very sleepy.—————————————————————————————————————————————–I am editing this review on this, the 11th Day of Feb in the year 2015 of one of the lords. I am giving it the fifth star because I already want to read it again, and that means something.

⭐Josephus is Jerusalem’s traitor like von Stauffenberg was Berlin’s. Josephus parlayed with the Romans and declared them supreme? Zakkai did exactly the same thing, yet only after realizing that hope was lost. Josephus gave the nation a chance to find a path aside from evident self-annihilation.Even so, the book is well written and fast paced.It also recognizes the Great Hand of Providence upon the entire fall of Judaean power, even going so far as presenting the Old Testament prophecies of the End of Days as finding their fulfillment in the aftermath of Calvary.Can’t wait to finish the book, so I can move on to a more honest assessment of Josephus’s loving heart towards ancient Israel… a heart broken by Zealotic, atheistic fanaticism in both religious and civil authorities.

⭐This is great reading! I found myself unable to put It down! It is the story of Josephus and his writings on the first century jewish war. It tells of the sige and destruction of jerusalem and what was the causes leading to It. Josephus was considered a traitor, and there are question’s about his version, but It Is the only version we have. Still It Is a valuable narrative because It tells of the political situation and factions, In first century judea and author covers this well. I wish there would have been a little more Infromation on masada, but I still enjoyed It anyway.

⭐This is a well written summary of Josephus’ Jewish War. It’s action packed through every chapter and held my interest without wanting to put it down. This is the way history should be written for a popular audience. The author provides some analysis as to the veracity of Josephus’ accounts of events. Though it’s written from a secular view, it’s a helpful aid in understanding New Testament context as well.

⭐This is a must read for readers who are interested in the history of Christianity. Josephus lived at the time of Christ and mentions him in this history. He was not taken very seriously until after the dead sea scrolls and other ancient texts were discovered. The scrolls and other ancient texts seem to back up what Josephus wrote. It is also a good story in this English language version.

⭐If you lack at least a passing familiarity with the time of Josephus, this is NOT the book you want to read. Themes are not developed. Overall it is poorly written with errors including incomplete and run-on sentences. I would describe this as a list. Events are reported, opinions are offered, and quotes are repeated, but nothing ties them together to create a cohesive or interesting read. There is no effort devoted to establish a foundation, introduce an historical figure or event, and develop it into a readable in-depth narrative. This is a boring, ponderous one-dimensional volume that never grabs this reader’s interest or attention. There might be a narrow audience among Josephus scholars for this work, this reader cannot recommend this book for the wider population.

⭐Not for the faint of heart, solid historical read, but written in the style of an academic trying to make his favorite point versus an author trying to share a story.

⭐If you find Josephus’ work a bit overwhelming, Seward gives a nicely trimmed down account while he presents the man behind the script.

⭐In this book, the author chronicles the Roman military campaign in Judea during the latter half of the first century CE. This is done mainly through the writings of Josephus – a Jew who, at the beginning of the conflict, was a leader in the Jewish effort, but after surrendering became essentially a Roman supporter for the remainder of the war and for the rest of his life. The author weaves this tale around what little is known about Josephus’ life and quotes extensively from his many writings which, because he was there, are some of the rare sources on information on the events that took place. The author also points out both the strong and weak points in Josephus’ narratives, indicates what are likely exaggerations or deliberate inaccuracies and provides input from more recent scholarship. During this conflict, Rome went through five emperors – from Nero to Vespasian (incl.); consequently, political shenanigans, also discussed, played an important role for anyone wanting to survive during those tumultuous times.The author writes in a clear and friendly style. It is obvious that he has a passion for his subject matter, resulting in prose that is lively and often quite gripping. This book can be enjoyed by anyone who has a penchant for ancient history and ancient warfare, especially when it includes vivid descriptions of the Roman war machine in action.

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