Topical Josephus, The

by Cleon L. Rogers Jr.

No ancient writer is more important to study of the New Testament than Flavius Josephus, a Jew who was born shortly after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. His works discuss many of the people who walk across the pages of the New Testament (such as Herod, Agrippa, John the Baptist, and even Jesus), outline institutions important to the understanding of the New Testament (such as the Pharisees, Sadducees, Zealots, and Roman army), and describe in great detail events predicted in the New Testament (the Jewish war, especially the destruction of Jerusalem). In this book, Dr. Rogers has summarized the massive bulk of Josephus's writings in a vivid and delightful manner, arranging the data topically for easy access. He also draws attention to specific words in the Gospels, Acts, and the letters of the New Testament that take on enriched meanings when viewed in the light of Josephus's use of them.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

Reviews

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

. A must for history buffs and those who want more background in the New Testament times. Excellent synopsis and organization of Josephus first hand account of life in the Holy Land in the first century AD. This book takes the voluminous and difficult to read Jewish Histories and breaks them down into easy to follow topical chapters: people, places, events etc. Reading this book made it easier to understand events depicted in the New Testament, as well as to visualize how Jerusalem and Masada fell through the eyes of the Romans. Well done.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good introduction to Josephus' writings. Roger organizes the book into key people, institutions, and events that Josephus chronicled. I thought the information on the fall of Jerusalem and on Herod the Great was especially vivid and detailed.

[Dan Charnas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, well-organized, objective, yet "enthusiastic" abridgement of the writings of Josephus.