This exhibition displays rare books from Feuchtwanger Memorial Library of works by and about Flavius Josephus, Jewish historian of the 1st century, exploring the readership, interpretation, translation and artistic adaptation of Josephus’ works from antiquity to the present.

Flavius Josephus, or Yosef ben Mattityahu (born 37/38 CE, Jerusalem-died 100 CE, Rome) was a Jewish priest, scholar and military leader who wrote significant works on Jewish history, including most famously on the Jewish revolt of 66-70 CE. His major books are History of the Jewish War (75–79), The Antiquities of the Jews (93), and Against Apion. 


Josephus’ life and literary works were shaped by his experience of the First Jewish–Roman War (66–74 CE), sometimes called the Great Jewish Revolt or the Jewish War. He first encountered Rome in 64 CE when he was sent as an ambassador to the capitol to secure the release of Jewish prisoners held there. In 66 CE Jewish rebels ousted the Roman procurator and established a revolutionary government in Jerusalem. Josephus represented the moderate, priestly class, but was still appointed as military commander of Galilee.  

Upon his surrender as a prisoner of war to the Romans in 67 CE, he famously professed that Vespasian, then a general, would soon become Emperor. When his prediction came true, Josephus was released, and he adopted the name Flavius (Vespasian’s family name). He joined the Roman forces under the command of Titus, Vespasian’s son and later successor, at the siege of Jerusalem in 70 CE. Josephus’ attempts to broker a deal with the rebels failed, and Jerusalem and the Jewish Temple were destroyed. Distrusted by the Romans, and excommunicated by the Jews, Josephus lived the remainder of his life in Rome, authoring his valuable books about the history of Jews while under imperial patronage.