Josephus Quotes

Roman–Jewish historian and military leader (c. 37–c. 100)

Add quote

Flavius Josephus (37–100 CE) was a 1st-century Jewish army captain and later became an author. He was actively involved in the Jewish war with the Romans that climaxed in the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE. After 70 he went to Rome and dedicated his life to writing. He wrote two history works: * s:The War of the Jews, De Bello Judaico, which he says was a translation of an earlier version written in Chaldaic Hebrew.
* s:Jewish Antiquities, Antiquitates Judaicae He also wrote: * s:The Life of Flavius Josephus, Vita, an autobiography.
* s:Against Apion, Contra Apionem, a polemic against w:Antisemitism
* s:Discourse to the Greeks concerning Hades, an short essay on the Jewish Pharisees' view of the afterlife.

From: Wikiquote (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Native Name: Ἰώσηπος Φλάβιος

Alternative Names: Joseph ben Matityahu • Titus Flavius Josephus • Flavius Iosephus • Flavius Josephus

From Wikidata (CC0)

Showing quotes in randomized order to avoid selection bias. Click Popular for most popular quotes.

And when the book of Daniel was showed him [Alexander the Great] wherein Daniel declared that one of the Greeks should destroy the empire of the Persians, he supposed that he himself was the person intended.

Their exercises are unbloody battles, and their battles bloody exercises.

Antipater, now undisputed heir, had called down on his head the utter loathing of the nation, for everyone knew that all the slanders directed against his brothers had originated with him.

I protest openly that I do not go over to the Romans as a deserter of the Jews, but as a minister from thee.

Its literary merits must be left to the judgment of its readers; as to its truth, I should not hesitate to make the confident assertion that from the first word to the last I have aimed at nothing else.

Now Antiochus was not satisfied either with his unexpected taking the city (Jerusalem), or with its pillage, or with the great slaughter he had made there; but being overcome with his violent passions, and remembering what he had suffered during the siege, he compelled the Jews to dissolve the laws of their country, and to keep their infants uncircumcised, and to sacrifice swine's flesh upon the altar; against which they all opposed themselves, and the most approved among them were put to death.