BOSTON: OTIS, BROADERS AND COMPANY, 1847. HARVARD UNIVERSITY HGV S 2005 "THIS HISTORY is spoken of in the highest terms by men of the greatest learning and the soundest judgment, from its first publication to the present time. "The fidelity, the veracity, and the probity of Josephus, are universally allowed: and Scaliger in particular declares, that not only in the affairs of the Jews, but even of foreign nations, he deserves more credit than all the Greek and Roman writers put together. Certain at least it is, that he had that most essential qualification of an historian,-a perfect and accurate knowledge of all the transactions which he relates; that he had no prejudices to mislead him in the representation of them; and that, above all, he meant no favour to the Christian cause. For even allowing the so much controverted passage, in which he is supposed to bear testimony to Christ, to be genuine, it does not appear that he ever became a convert to his religion, but continued probably a zealous Jew to the end of his life." Vide Bishop Porteus's Lectures, Vol. II. p. 234. 05*1 THE LIFE OF FLAVIUS JOSEPHUS. § 1. THE family from which I am derived is Matthias Curtus, and that in the first year of not an ignoble one, but hath descended all the government of Hyrcanus: his son's name along from the priests; and as nobility among was Joseph, born in the ninth year of the several people is of a different origin, so with reign of Alexandra: his son Matthias was us to be of the sacerdotal dignity, is an indi- born in the tenth year of the reign of Archecation of the splendour of a family. Now, I laus; as was I born to Matthias in the first am not only sprung from a sacerdotal family year of the reign of Caius Caesar. I have in general, but from the first of the twenty-three sons: Hyrcanus, the eldest, was born four courses; and as among us there is not in the fourth year of the reign of Vespasian, only a considerable difference between one as was Justus born in the seventh, and Agrippa family of each course and another, I am of in the ninth. Thus have I set down the the chief family of that first course also; nay, genealogy of my family as I have found it defarther, by my mother, I am of the royal blood; scribed in the public records, and so bid for the children of Asamoneus, from whom adieu to those who calumniate me [as of a that family was derived, had both the office lower original]. of the high priesthood, and the dignity of a 2. Now, my father Matthias was not only king, for a long time together. I will accord- eminent on account of his nobility, but had a ingly set down my progenitors in order. My higher commendation on account of his rightegrandfather's father was named Simon, with ousness; and was in great reputation in Je. the addition of Psellus: he lived at the same rusalem, the greatest city we have. I was time with that son of Simon the high priest, myself brought up with my brother, whose who first of all the high priests was named name was Matthias, for he was my own broHyrcanus. This Simon Psellus had ninether, by both father and mother; and I made sons, one of whom was Matthias, called Ephlias: he married the daughter of Jonathan the high priest; which Jonathan was the first of the sons of Asamoneus, who was high priest, and was the brother of Simon the high priest also. This Matthias bad a son called • We may hence correct the error of the Latin copy of the second book Against Apion, sect. 8 (for the Greek is there lost), which says, there were then only four tribes or courses of the priests, instead of twenty-four. Nor is this testimony to be disregarded, as if Josephus there contradicted what he had affirmed here; because even the account there given better agrees to twenty-four than to four courses, while he says that each of those courses contained above 5,000 men, which, multiplied by only four, will make not more than 20.000 priests; whereas the number 120,000. as multiplied by 24, seems much the most probable, they being about one tenth of the whole people, even after the captivity. See Ezra ii 3-39; Nehem, vii 39-42; 1 Esd. v. 24, 25; with Ezra, ii 64; Nehem. vii 66; 1 Esd. v. 41. Nor will this common reading or notion of but four courses of priests, agree with Josephus's own further assertion elsewhere (Antiq. b. vii. ch. xiv. sect. 7), that David's partition of the priests into twenty-four courses, had continued to that day. mighty proficiency in the improvements of my learning, and appeared to have both a great memory and understanding. Moreover, when I was a child, and about fourteen years of age, I was commended by all for the love I had to learning; on which account the high then frequently to me together, in order to priests and principal men of the city came know my opinion about the accurate understanding of points of the law; and when I was about sixteen years old, I had a mind to make trial of the several sects that were among us. These sects are three:-The first is that of the Pharisees, the second that of the Sadducees, and the third that of the Essens, as we have frequently told you; for I thought that by this means I might choose the best, if I were once acquainted with them all; so I + An eminent example of the care of the Jews about their genealogies, especially as to the priests. See Against Apion, b. i. sect. 7 A |