Josephus (37-100 CE) was an aristocratic Jew who served both as a priest in Jerusalem and as a commander of Jewish forces in Galilee during the Jewish revolt against Rome in 66 CE. Having been captured by the Romans he spent the rest of his life under the patronage of the Roman Emperors while writing his history of the Jewish people, Jewish Antiquities, and The Jewish War an account of the Jewish revolt against the Romans which led to the destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple in 70 CE.
Josephus’ works are of special interest to Christians because they contain the only semi-lengthy references to Jesus outside of the New Testament. Here is what he said:
“Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man, for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles. He was Christ, and when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men among us had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him: for he appeared to them alive again the third day, as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him. And the tribe of Christians so named from him are not extinct at this day.” (Book 18, Chapter 3, paragraph 3).
This is surely a rather surprising account of the person and life of Jesus outside of the Christian scriptures. It would appear that Josephus thought very highly of Jesus and his followers, even acknowledging the resurrection claim and the spread of the Christian faith. In addition, Josephus’ account of the war with the Romans details quite a number of Palestinian cities and towns, such as Sepphoris the Roman town only four miles from Nazareth, Jesus’ original home. This city has been excavated extensively in recent years and appears to have become a lively Roman city, complete with a Roman amphitheater. Josephus claims that he burnt this city when running from the Roman army.
It truly is a wonderment how Josephus went from being a devout Jewish religious leader to becoming a Jewish warrior against the Romans, and then somehow managed when captured to be removed to Rome and eventually allowed to pursue the life a scholarly historian. Not only must he have had a great deal of fortitude, but he must also have had a lot of “people savvy” with which to wangle his way amongst the Roman cultural hierarchy into having the opportunity to spend his final years writing important history books about the Jewish nation. It is a wonderful thing that we can still read his accounts.