Joseph, JoeL See Witzexhausen.
Joseph Taitatzak. See Taitatzak.
Jose'phus ('Iw(t;;0oc v. r. <l>d(T?/7roc), the Grreco- Latin form (1 Esdr. ix, 34) of the Heb. name Joseph (q. V.) 6 (Ezra x, 42).
Josephus, Flavius, the celebrated Jewish histo- rian, was born at Jerusalem A.D. 37. His father's name was Mattathias, and in his autobiography (the only source left us to write his history, as the works of his rival, Justus of Tiberias, are unhappily lost) he lays claim to royal and sacerdotal lineage, and alludes to the renown he enjoyed while yet a youth {Life, i, 1). His early years seem to have been spent in close study of the Jewish traditions and the O.-T. writings. Dissat- isfied with all of the three principal Jewish sects, while yet a young man he spent three years as the follower of one Banus, an eremite, in the desert, but at last joined the sect of the Pharisees. He was only 19 when he left Banus, and he joined the Pharisees between 19 and 2G, when he went to Rome, Soon afterwards, the impris- onment of some Jewish priests by the procurator Felix afforded him an opportunity of pleading his people's cause before the emperor himself at the Roman capital, whith- er these men had been sent. On the way he was sliip- wrecked (some have unwarrantably imagined that he was Paul's companion in that disastrous voyage), but, being rescued by a Cyrenian vessel, he made his way to Rome. He there not only secured the object of his mission, but also ingratiated himself in the favor of the empress, and at length returned home loaded with presents. He found the mass of his countrymen determined on a re- volt from the empire, and he anxiously sought to dis- suade them from so rash a course. The Jews, however, refused to listen to his advice ; and the only alternatives for him were either to follow the popular will, and thus perhaps make himself the leader of his people, or to re- turn to Rome, and there receive the rewards of treach- ery. In his description of the Jewish insurrection he has given us a graphic account of the numerous plots and jierils in- which he became entangled during this period of his life. After the disastrous retreat of Cestins Gallus from Jerusalem, and the barbarous massacre of the Jews at Sepphoris (q. v.) and the Syrian cities, the most peacefully inclined of the Jews joined the zealots, and Josephus no longer hesitated as to the best course to be pursued. With great ostentation of patriotism and self-devotion, he declared in favor of w^ar "a ou- trance," and he soon secured for himself the appoint- ment as general. Together with Joazar and Judas he was sent to Galilee, " the province on which the storm would first break." His two colleagues, however, de- voted themselves to their priestly function.s, and Jo- sephus became the sole commander {Life, 4-7 ; War,
JOSEPHUS
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JOSEPHUS
ii, 20, 4). Finding t|ie Galilean Jews divided among tiiemselves (see John ok Gischala), and fearing that his command was too weak to meet the army of the approaching Vespasian, he retired to the Jewish strong- hold Jotapata, and there awaited the attack of the Ro- mans. For forty-seven days he encouraged his sol- diers to deeds that immortalized his name. (For an interesting description of this siege, see Weber and Holtzmann, 6Vsc/;. (/. Volkes Israel, ii, Ho sq. ; Milman, J/is/. of the Jews [Midtlleton's edition], ii, 252 sq.) Yet some writers, among them Kaphall and Griitz, accuse him even here of treachery and cowardice, alleging that he endeavored to get away from Jotapata on the pre- tence of desiring to raise an army for its relief, although he coiUd not have left " without either falling into the hands of the Romans or volimturily joining l/ieni.'" Even after the fall of that fortress he did not surrender to the Romans, but hid himself with forty companions in a cave, and refused to come forth, when his place of refuge was betrayed, until his life was guaranteed him. (See Smith, Diet, of Greek and Roman Biog. ii, Gil, col. i; Raphall, Post-Bibl. Hist. Jews,' p. 427 sq.) After his surrender to Vespasian he was put in chains, with a view to being sent to Rome for trial before Nero. He evaded this danger by predicting (he distinctly claims the gift of prophecy. War, iii, 8, 9) to Vespasian his future eleva- tion to the imperial throne, but was still held in con- finement for three years, until, on the realization of his prediction, his chains were cut from him, as a sign that he had been unjustl)^ bound (War, iv, 10, 7). Vespa- sian had been declared emperor by the Roman soldiers in the East, and he immediately set out for the West, leaving Titus in command, with orders to hasten the conclusion of the war still raging in Palestine. In this expedition on Jerusalem Josephus accompanied Titus. Titus had supposed this task, with the assistance of the "renegade" (so Milman calls him), an easy one; but the Jews braved the attack of the Romans much more obstinately than the latter had expected, and, finally, Josephus was induced to go forth and urge his countrymen to capitulate, and thus to save the place from certain and total destruction. The people, by his account, were touched and ready to yield, but the lead- ers remained obstmate ; but the fact is that they were naturally disinclined to listen to the counsels of a man who had quitted them in the hour of their greatest need. They even sought to kill him, and continued the de- fence to the last extremity. On the downfall of the city, the most intimate friends and relatives of Jose- phus were spared at his request, and, in return for his aid and counsel in the siege, a valuable estate in Judoea was assigned him as a residence. Well aware, ho^vever, that among his countrymen he would hardly find a safe refuge, he returned with Titus to Rome to enjoy the honors which Vespasian might be- stow upon him. He was received with great kind- ness by the emperor; but, although the privileges of Roman citizenship were conferred upon him and an an- nual pension awarded him, he was detested by the Ro- mans no less than by the Jews. It is supposed that his death occurred in the early years of Trajan's reign, perhaps A.D. 103. For other facts 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 other passages of his other works: Apion, i, 9, 10; War, i; ii, 20, 3 sq. ; 21, 2 sq.; iii, 7, 13 sq. ; 8, 1 sq. ; 9; vi, 5; A7it. ed. Havercamp, i, 5, 228, 536, 545, 682, 982 ; Suidas, s. v. 'luifTTjiroc.