Ancient Historians · Part 18 · Philo and Josephus · B2
Josephus I: The Commander Who Changed Sides
Part 18 of Ancient Historians: Joseph son of Matthias was a young priest from Jerusalem who became a general in the Jewish revolt against Rome. Besieged at Jotapata, he hid in a cave with forty men who chose to die rather than surrender. They drew lots; Josephus was one of the last two left alive. He surrendered, made a prophecy to the Roman general Vespasian, and lived to become Flavius Josephus, Rome’s historian of the Jews. Hero, traitor, or survivor? Judging past decisions (should have, could have, might have, had no choice but to), and the language of loyalty and betrayal, with Philo, Sophia, Marcos and Demetria. The siege and the cave are described briefly.
Philo, I have one more historian from your people to tell you about, and he will be born about thirty-five years from now. His name will be Joseph son of Matthias, a priest from Jerusalem. The world will know him as Flavius Josephus.
Exactly, Philo. He will begin as a Jewish general fighting Rome, and end as a Roman citizen living in the emperor’s house. Some people will call him a traitor for two thousand years. Tonight we judge his choices, and practise the grammar of judging the past: what he should have done, could have done, and might have done.
Joseph son of Matthias was born in Jerusalem in 37 CE into a priestly family. As a young man he went to Rome on a mission and saw the power of the empire with his own eyes. In 66 CE, a great Jewish revolt broke out against Roman rule, and Josephus, though he says he had doubts, was made commander of the Jewish forces in Galilee.
In 67 CE, the Roman general Vespasian besieged the hill town of Jotapata, which Josephus defended for forty-seven days. When it fell, Josephus hid in a cave with forty men. They refused to surrender and decided to die. Josephus persuaded them to draw lots, each man to be killed by the next; by luck, he says, “or by the providence of God”, he and one other were left alive, and they surrendered. Some readers have always suspected that he arranged…
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