ABSTRACT
Before his capture by the Romans, Josephus (c. 37–100 ce) had been a participant on the Jewish side in the first year of the First Revolt (66–70). His major work, the Antiquities of the Jews, was written to inform a sophisticated Greco-Roman audience of the origin, historical traditions and superior antiquity of the Jews. Given the difficulties faced by Roman administrators in the province of Judaea culminating in the large-scale revolt of 66–70 ce, the literary task undertaken by Josephus is decidedly apologetic in its tone.
