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Josephus: The History of the Jews Condensed in Simple English
After 2,000 years, his writings remain an important and relevant source for historians and Bible Scholars.
Josephus - The History of the Jews Condensed in Simple English takes one of his most important works and presents it to modern readers in condensed simple English the first update of his Antiquities in nearly 300 years.
Treasures of faith and history await your discovery on each page. Find out about a prophetic and friendly meeting between Alexander the Great and the high priest, Jaddua. Learn important details about the first and second temples essential for understanding the spirituality and religious politics in those times. Original illustrations, a map, a table of equivalents, and a colorful timeline help further contribute to the stories Josephus wrote for generations to come including you!
Josephus - The History of the Jews Condensed in Simple English takes one of his most important works and presents it to modern readers in condensed simple English the first update of his Antiquities in nearly 300 years.
Treasures of faith and history await your discovery on each page. Find out about a prophetic and friendly meeting between Alexander the Great and the high priest, Jaddua. Learn important details about the first and second temples essential for understanding the spirituality and religious politics in those times. Original illustrations, a map, a table of equivalents, and a colorful timeline help further contribute to the stories Josephus wrote for generations to come including you!
450 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 3, 2017
255 people are currently reading
45 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
October 14, 2018
My first encounter with Flavius Josephus—the man whom famed Church historian, Eusebius, called the most famous Jew of his time— and Josephus’s epic work, Antiquities of the Jews, was as an undergraduate student browsing my university library.
Twenty dusty (and, it seemed, deservedly, lonely) leather-bound volumes on a top-shelf row in a shadowy corner of the reference section, appearing to have never been touched.
I desperately wanted to read the prodigious work from cover to cover, but I also hoped to finish school, find a job and someday start a family. Reading Josephus, back then, seemed incompatible with life.
Widely credited with providing posterity with details of ancient life not found in any other record, the Antiquities have now been made more accessible than ever by Miriam Maranzenboim, whose book, Josephus, THE History OF THE Jews is, as its cover claims, Condensed in Simple English.
The first update of the Antiquities in nearly 300 years, it’s easy to read and understand and can also serve as a reference.
The Antiquities were written in the 13th year of the reign of Roman emperor Flavius Domitian, around AD 93. The first ten volumes follow the historical books of the Hebrew Bible. The second ten continue the history beyond the biblical text, up to the Jewish War. In its preface, Josephus writes:
Now I have undertaken the present work, as thinking it will appear to all the Greeks worthy of their study; for it will contain all our antiquities, and the constitution of our government, as interpreted out of the Hebrew Scriptures.
Almost two millennia later, Maranzenboim’s condensation will appear more than worthy of study to modern readers who lack the time to plow through 20 volumes.
Thanks, Miriam.
Twenty dusty (and, it seemed, deservedly, lonely) leather-bound volumes on a top-shelf row in a shadowy corner of the reference section, appearing to have never been touched.
I desperately wanted to read the prodigious work from cover to cover, but I also hoped to finish school, find a job and someday start a family. Reading Josephus, back then, seemed incompatible with life.
Widely credited with providing posterity with details of ancient life not found in any other record, the Antiquities have now been made more accessible than ever by Miriam Maranzenboim, whose book, Josephus, THE History OF THE Jews is, as its cover claims, Condensed in Simple English.
The first update of the Antiquities in nearly 300 years, it’s easy to read and understand and can also serve as a reference.
The Antiquities were written in the 13th year of the reign of Roman emperor Flavius Domitian, around AD 93. The first ten volumes follow the historical books of the Hebrew Bible. The second ten continue the history beyond the biblical text, up to the Jewish War. In its preface, Josephus writes:
Now I have undertaken the present work, as thinking it will appear to all the Greeks worthy of their study; for it will contain all our antiquities, and the constitution of our government, as interpreted out of the Hebrew Scriptures.
Almost two millennia later, Maranzenboim’s condensation will appear more than worthy of study to modern readers who lack the time to plow through 20 volumes.
Thanks, Miriam.
October 28, 2021
I'm not sure how this particular translation of Josephus' History of the Jews compares to the original, but since it seems to be the only one in modern English, it was the best option for satisfying my curiosity. That being said, it felt choppy at times and often read like a grade school textbook. At times the order of events being narrated got very jumbled, and there's often no logical organization within some of the chapters, jumping from one person or event to another, then back to the first, then to someone new, then perhaps back to the second, and so on. And yet, I have never read any other versions, so I don't know whether those stylistic choices came from the translator or the original author.
Writing style aside, the content itself is, of course, quite comprehensive. I realize that it is one of the only written records we have of many of those people, years, and events. However, there is some question among academics about the humanistic bias and inaccuracies of his narrative. He was essentially writing to save his own skin, and had little motivation and few resources to ensure things were recorded factually and meticulously. Also, if you compare it to the Old Testament, there is clear disagreement between the two records - despite the fact that, as a Jew, Josephus would have been taught its stories from childhood. I'm glad I half-read/half-skimmed through it, if only to have a better idea of its contents, but it's not something I'll likely be returning to in the future.
Writing style aside, the content itself is, of course, quite comprehensive. I realize that it is one of the only written records we have of many of those people, years, and events. However, there is some question among academics about the humanistic bias and inaccuracies of his narrative. He was essentially writing to save his own skin, and had little motivation and few resources to ensure things were recorded factually and meticulously. Also, if you compare it to the Old Testament, there is clear disagreement between the two records - despite the fact that, as a Jew, Josephus would have been taught its stories from childhood. I'm glad I half-read/half-skimmed through it, if only to have a better idea of its contents, but it's not something I'll likely be returning to in the future.
November 30, 2018
The eye-witness account of Josephus Flavius to the events in Judea-Samaria that led to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE is so important for context to the New Testament, which is why every sincere Bible student should be familiar with this book and not believe the biased opinions of others for granted. Reading it in easy English makes this work available to a large English 2nd language audience. Well done Miriam!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews