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Josephus: A Novel
Synopsis: The year is 66 A.D.━Nero rules the world as Caesar. Judea is a client state of Rome. The taxes are doubled and the Judeans refuse to pay. The Romans decide to raid the Judean's holy Temple treasury. The Judeans insult and mock the Romans for their avarice; the Romans respond by murdering thousands of Judeans.
A revolt ensues. The Judeans expel or kill every Roman in Jerusalem.
Emperor Nero sends his greatest general, Vespasian to restore Roman order in the Holy Land.
A young Judean high priest & scholar, Joseph son of Matthias is sent to the Galilee as governor to prepare the area for the eventual return of Roman armed forces. Joseph builds fortifications, raises city walls, trains armies, and forges weapons. After a forty-seven day siege, the Romans take the city of Jotapata and capture Joseph.
Joseph survives a death march through the desert and is put on a Roman ship from Caesarea to Rome where he is to face spectacle execution.
He nearly dies on a shipwreck on the voyage to Rome, only to survive by being washed ashore with Titus, son of Vespasian, and a family friend, Captain Frachas. The three find themselves on a Mediterranean island habituated by Greek barbarians.
A Roman vessel finds the three and Joseph is again put on a ship leading to his execution.
Nero decides to have a mock naval battle. The Colosseum is flooded to the top of the 20 ft. high arena walls. The emperor has Joseph put on the condemned men's ship.
Escaping the Colosseum with his life after a daring naval maneuver, Joseph impresses even Caesar. Nero puts Joseph under the supervision of Titus in a negotiation to help end the ongoing Roman-Judean war.
A civil war breaks out over Paul of Tarsus' (St. Paul) execution coupled with Nero's growing insanity. Nero commits suicide and then the 'Year of the Four Emperors' fully begins.
Vespasian emerges as Caesar and does the unheard of, legally adopting Joseph, a Hebrew, as his own son, during a war with Joseph's very people.
What comes next changes the course of history.
A revolt ensues. The Judeans expel or kill every Roman in Jerusalem.
Emperor Nero sends his greatest general, Vespasian to restore Roman order in the Holy Land.
A young Judean high priest & scholar, Joseph son of Matthias is sent to the Galilee as governor to prepare the area for the eventual return of Roman armed forces. Joseph builds fortifications, raises city walls, trains armies, and forges weapons. After a forty-seven day siege, the Romans take the city of Jotapata and capture Joseph.
Joseph survives a death march through the desert and is put on a Roman ship from Caesarea to Rome where he is to face spectacle execution.
He nearly dies on a shipwreck on the voyage to Rome, only to survive by being washed ashore with Titus, son of Vespasian, and a family friend, Captain Frachas. The three find themselves on a Mediterranean island habituated by Greek barbarians.
A Roman vessel finds the three and Joseph is again put on a ship leading to his execution.
Nero decides to have a mock naval battle. The Colosseum is flooded to the top of the 20 ft. high arena walls. The emperor has Joseph put on the condemned men's ship.
Escaping the Colosseum with his life after a daring naval maneuver, Joseph impresses even Caesar. Nero puts Joseph under the supervision of Titus in a negotiation to help end the ongoing Roman-Judean war.
A civil war breaks out over Paul of Tarsus' (St. Paul) execution coupled with Nero's growing insanity. Nero commits suicide and then the 'Year of the Four Emperors' fully begins.
Vespasian emerges as Caesar and does the unheard of, legally adopting Joseph, a Hebrew, as his own son, during a war with Joseph's very people.
What comes next changes the course of history.
516 pages, Hardcover
First published October 20, 2020
198 people are currently reading
2688 people want to read
About the author
B. Michael Antler
1 book40 followersB. Michael Antler was born in Los Angeles, California in 1983. He was accepted into the University of Virginia, and studied business, graduating from the McIntire School of Commerce in 2006, specializing in eMarketing.
After a couple years in Corporate America, he decided to go back to school, graduating from Gonzaga University School of Law with a Juris Doctorate.
Disinterested in the practice of law, Michael chose to pursue a life dream and write a novel. He hopes one day to see his words brighten the silver screen.
Michael loves water sports, going to the symphony, theater, reading, playing chess & pinball, and of course: dogs (specifically pugs).
He currently enjoys living the desert life in Palm Springs, California.
After a couple years in Corporate America, he decided to go back to school, graduating from Gonzaga University School of Law with a Juris Doctorate.
Disinterested in the practice of law, Michael chose to pursue a life dream and write a novel. He hopes one day to see his words brighten the silver screen.
Michael loves water sports, going to the symphony, theater, reading, playing chess & pinball, and of course: dogs (specifically pugs).
He currently enjoys living the desert life in Palm Springs, California.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
August 21, 2020
I won this book in a goodreads drawing.
The story of Josephus, based on his autobiography, which is one of the most self serving works ever known to man. Josephus is an important priest in Judea. After a tax revolt, the Hebrews kill all the Roman soldiers in their land. Josephus is given charge of preparing for the coming Roman invasion.
Of course the preparations fail, and Josephus is captured. He is sent to Rome, where he becomes son of a Caesar.
Too good to be true.
The story of Josephus, based on his autobiography, which is one of the most self serving works ever known to man. Josephus is an important priest in Judea. After a tax revolt, the Hebrews kill all the Roman soldiers in their land. Josephus is given charge of preparing for the coming Roman invasion.
Of course the preparations fail, and Josephus is captured. He is sent to Rome, where he becomes son of a Caesar.
Too good to be true.
September 18, 2020
The Root of the Conflict is Exorbitant Taxes
Set in the 1st century, Josephus: A Novel presents the plight of the Judeans under the Roman rule.
The story begins with a Tribune leading a band of Roman soldiers trespassing on the Judean Temple in Jerusalem. Titus, the leader, demands two thousand talents in taxes for Caesar. But since the religious leaders are adamant, he strikes the chief priest on his head, instantly killing the latter.
Enraged, the Judean people retaliate by killing many soldiers at the Antonia Fortress. From this point on, the series of riots in Jerusalem and elsewhere in the Judean land continues.
Considering the number of deaths they inflict and knowing the Roman mentality, the Judean people expect to get a harsher blow from the Roman Empire. And, so they need to prepare and secure their land. One of the high priests, whose name is Joseph, is deployed to Galilee. He serves as governor of the city and takes charge of the fortification of the city. Taking his base in Jotapata, Joseph sets up walls, orders the citizens to make more weapons, and train able-bodied men as warriors.
And when the dreaded day came, Joseph’s community is ready for war against the Roman soldiers. They are successful in defending their city until Joseph is captured.
Joseph Brought to Rome as Prisoner
As a prisoner, Joseph is brought to Rome to face execution in the presence of Nero. Titus and a handful of his men escort Joseph. They sail by boat. But before long into their journey, a storm came, causing the shipwreck. Joseph and two Roman officials survive. They found themselves on an island. From this island setting onwards, the story of Josephus: A Novel takes several twists and turns.
It’s for you, readers, to discover the life of the three survivors on the isolated island. What will happen to Joseph when he comes face-to-face with Nero? Who is Josephus?
The Book and the Author
B. Michael Antler is a very good story-teller. He researches his material thoroughly. And this is evident in Josephus: A Novel. He comes up with this almost true-to-life account of the historical events in the 1st century. He is also keen on giving vivid descriptions of each scene and action. In this book, the author takes the reader on a wild ride through pilferage, flying spears and arrows, bloodbath, rape, and other unspeakable horrors. If you are weak of heart, the scenes may make you dizzy and want to puke.
Despite the many horrible scenes, I give Josephus: A Novel a rating of 5 out of 5 stars. And, I look forward to reading more of Antler’s work. I recommend this novel to readers 18 years old and above provided their hearts are strong and healthy enough. Otherwise, I don’t advise them to read it. People who are prone to depression, having a heart condition, and have had high blood pressure might find the horrific scenes too much to bear. Likewise, Josephus: A Novel is not a good read for the young readers due to the graphic accounts of brutality.
My other review of Josephus is found at https://www.nilaeslit.com/josephus-a-...
Set in the 1st century, Josephus: A Novel presents the plight of the Judeans under the Roman rule.
The story begins with a Tribune leading a band of Roman soldiers trespassing on the Judean Temple in Jerusalem. Titus, the leader, demands two thousand talents in taxes for Caesar. But since the religious leaders are adamant, he strikes the chief priest on his head, instantly killing the latter.
Enraged, the Judean people retaliate by killing many soldiers at the Antonia Fortress. From this point on, the series of riots in Jerusalem and elsewhere in the Judean land continues.
Considering the number of deaths they inflict and knowing the Roman mentality, the Judean people expect to get a harsher blow from the Roman Empire. And, so they need to prepare and secure their land. One of the high priests, whose name is Joseph, is deployed to Galilee. He serves as governor of the city and takes charge of the fortification of the city. Taking his base in Jotapata, Joseph sets up walls, orders the citizens to make more weapons, and train able-bodied men as warriors.
And when the dreaded day came, Joseph’s community is ready for war against the Roman soldiers. They are successful in defending their city until Joseph is captured.
Joseph Brought to Rome as Prisoner
As a prisoner, Joseph is brought to Rome to face execution in the presence of Nero. Titus and a handful of his men escort Joseph. They sail by boat. But before long into their journey, a storm came, causing the shipwreck. Joseph and two Roman officials survive. They found themselves on an island. From this island setting onwards, the story of Josephus: A Novel takes several twists and turns.
It’s for you, readers, to discover the life of the three survivors on the isolated island. What will happen to Joseph when he comes face-to-face with Nero? Who is Josephus?
The Book and the Author
B. Michael Antler is a very good story-teller. He researches his material thoroughly. And this is evident in Josephus: A Novel. He comes up with this almost true-to-life account of the historical events in the 1st century. He is also keen on giving vivid descriptions of each scene and action. In this book, the author takes the reader on a wild ride through pilferage, flying spears and arrows, bloodbath, rape, and other unspeakable horrors. If you are weak of heart, the scenes may make you dizzy and want to puke.
Despite the many horrible scenes, I give Josephus: A Novel a rating of 5 out of 5 stars. And, I look forward to reading more of Antler’s work. I recommend this novel to readers 18 years old and above provided their hearts are strong and healthy enough. Otherwise, I don’t advise them to read it. People who are prone to depression, having a heart condition, and have had high blood pressure might find the horrific scenes too much to bear. Likewise, Josephus: A Novel is not a good read for the young readers due to the graphic accounts of brutality.
My other review of Josephus is found at https://www.nilaeslit.com/josephus-a-...
November 30, 2020
I have received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
In any historical novel, the accuracy of historical facts is essential. The author uses the Jewish War as his source and says the following:
The book tells the story of Joseph - son of Matthias - a Judean priest based in the temple in Jerusalem. Roman soldiers, under the leadership of Titus Flavius, are sent to recover taxes due to Rome. They raid the temple and kills the high priest, resulting in confrontations with the Judeans. Because of this many Judeans are killed by Roman soldiers.
The Judeans took revenge by leading the Roman soldiers in an ambush and killing many of them. Amazingly there was not a swift retaliation from the Romans.
But rumours that the Romans plans to attack Galilee soon surfaced. Joseph is sent as Governor to Jotapata to prepare the cities defence against the expected Roman attack. The Romans took the city after 47 days and Joseph was captured.
Titus is ordered to take him to Nero - the current Ceasar - in Rome. During the journey by sea, they got caught in a storm and run aground on an island. The survivors are captured by Greek cannibals. Joseph saves the life of Titus through a ruse of exorcising an evil spirit, delaying until Captain Romulus could save them from the cannibals.
Upon arriving in Rome Joseph is sentenced to fight in the Colosseum. Against all odds, he wins, and his life is spared. He is given into the care of Titus Flavius. He attends a party with Titus, to meet his father, Vespasian. During the party, he saves Titus life again by preventing him from choking. This earns him Roman citizenship and the Flavius name.
Eventually, Titus is sent to conquer Jerusalem, which he only managed to do after a three-month siege. This leads to the destruction of Jerusalem. Joseph returns to Rome and spends the rest of his life as a Roman citizen - writing down the history of the Judeans.
One thing I would have liked is if translations have been provided for Hebrew text quoted.
To be true to the time in which this novel took place, graphic violence and explicit sexual acts are described. Therefore, I do not recommend this book for sensitive readers.
I do recommend this book for readers that enjoys historical novels and who are interested to learn more about life during the Roman reign.
In any historical novel, the accuracy of historical facts is essential. The author uses the Jewish War as his source and says the following:
While many liberties are taken with the detailed descriptions throughout the novel, and Part II (which is mostly fabricated), the crux of the story is honest to Josephus.
The book tells the story of Joseph - son of Matthias - a Judean priest based in the temple in Jerusalem. Roman soldiers, under the leadership of Titus Flavius, are sent to recover taxes due to Rome. They raid the temple and kills the high priest, resulting in confrontations with the Judeans. Because of this many Judeans are killed by Roman soldiers.
The Judeans took revenge by leading the Roman soldiers in an ambush and killing many of them. Amazingly there was not a swift retaliation from the Romans.
But rumours that the Romans plans to attack Galilee soon surfaced. Joseph is sent as Governor to Jotapata to prepare the cities defence against the expected Roman attack. The Romans took the city after 47 days and Joseph was captured.
Titus is ordered to take him to Nero - the current Ceasar - in Rome. During the journey by sea, they got caught in a storm and run aground on an island. The survivors are captured by Greek cannibals. Joseph saves the life of Titus through a ruse of exorcising an evil spirit, delaying until Captain Romulus could save them from the cannibals.
Upon arriving in Rome Joseph is sentenced to fight in the Colosseum. Against all odds, he wins, and his life is spared. He is given into the care of Titus Flavius. He attends a party with Titus, to meet his father, Vespasian. During the party, he saves Titus life again by preventing him from choking. This earns him Roman citizenship and the Flavius name.
Eventually, Titus is sent to conquer Jerusalem, which he only managed to do after a three-month siege. This leads to the destruction of Jerusalem. Joseph returns to Rome and spends the rest of his life as a Roman citizen - writing down the history of the Judeans.
One thing I would have liked is if translations have been provided for Hebrew text quoted.
To be true to the time in which this novel took place, graphic violence and explicit sexual acts are described. Therefore, I do not recommend this book for sensitive readers.
I do recommend this book for readers that enjoys historical novels and who are interested to learn more about life during the Roman reign.
May 16, 2021
This marvelous book by B. Michael Antler helps us to understand the socio-cultural context from which the Jewish historian Flavius Joseph emerges. The author does the tremendous work of combining imagination with real historical data from the Jewish war and Josephus’ own writing.
Joseph, son of Matthias is a priest. Raised as a Sadducean, he has decided to be a member of the pharisee group. He is a respected scholar and has a good mastery of about a dozen languages. In the beginning he is presented as a pious man very attached to his values but slowly, we will see him becoming flexible and acculturated to roman customs. Joseph is a brave man but he is also cunning, he knows how to survive. More so, he is theologically convinced that he has the mission to help Jewish people and this conviction is vindicated by a recurring number of visions. Through his cunning, bravery and conviction he becomes an important person for Rome and the son of his enemy, Caesar.
In the process of narrating this story, the author introduces us to historical figures we have probably heard of in our lives. They include Nero, Titus, King Agrippa and even Paul the apostle in Christian tradition. Due to the peculiarities of the historical context, the author is reluctantly forced to depict sexual horrors and physical violence suffered by Judeans in the course of the war, so that we see women being rape and children being beheaded. In fact, this violence is also true among Romans themselves, for he who disappoints Caesar is very susceptible to an atrocious ending.
I will recommend this book to every person interested in history, but also in social science and humanities. Though there is still a lot to do in the world, this book reminds us that we as a whole have progressed to make the world much safer. I will also recommend it to people interested in Judeo-Christian, because this book introduces us to the socio-historical context of Christianity’s birth and also to the century where Judaism received perhaps its most serious blow, which is the destruction of the temple as it is today. Lastly, I cannot end this review without saying that I can’t help but imagine this book in movie form. I hope (and who knows) that this book will one day be adapted to cinema.
Joseph, son of Matthias is a priest. Raised as a Sadducean, he has decided to be a member of the pharisee group. He is a respected scholar and has a good mastery of about a dozen languages. In the beginning he is presented as a pious man very attached to his values but slowly, we will see him becoming flexible and acculturated to roman customs. Joseph is a brave man but he is also cunning, he knows how to survive. More so, he is theologically convinced that he has the mission to help Jewish people and this conviction is vindicated by a recurring number of visions. Through his cunning, bravery and conviction he becomes an important person for Rome and the son of his enemy, Caesar.
In the process of narrating this story, the author introduces us to historical figures we have probably heard of in our lives. They include Nero, Titus, King Agrippa and even Paul the apostle in Christian tradition. Due to the peculiarities of the historical context, the author is reluctantly forced to depict sexual horrors and physical violence suffered by Judeans in the course of the war, so that we see women being rape and children being beheaded. In fact, this violence is also true among Romans themselves, for he who disappoints Caesar is very susceptible to an atrocious ending.
I will recommend this book to every person interested in history, but also in social science and humanities. Though there is still a lot to do in the world, this book reminds us that we as a whole have progressed to make the world much safer. I will also recommend it to people interested in Judeo-Christian, because this book introduces us to the socio-historical context of Christianity’s birth and also to the century where Judaism received perhaps its most serious blow, which is the destruction of the temple as it is today. Lastly, I cannot end this review without saying that I can’t help but imagine this book in movie form. I hope (and who knows) that this book will one day be adapted to cinema.
April 11, 2021
In Josephus, the author, B. Michael Antler, has undertaken the monumental task of turning a little known work of history into a fictional novel, all the while retaining the actions, cultures and characters of those genuine historical figures who populate the book. Josephus is a fictional retelling of the Roman destruction of Jerusalem under the Roman leadership of future emperor Titus, in the year 70 CE.
As the novel opens, Rome is in control of Jerusalem under the poor leadership of a man named Gessius. The Romans decide to ruthlessly slaughter innocent Judeans in the marketplace. Judeans gather and discuss reprisal and Joseph, who represents the Pharisees, preaches peace, but is shouted down by members of the Zealots and Sadducees. The Judeans recapture Antonia Fortress in Jerusalem and expel the Romans, and by so doing prove to be just as harsh and merciless as the Romans. Gessius is executed by Roman emperor Nero and another budding emperor, Vespasian, commences the reconquest of Judea, besieging a city named Jotapata. Jotapata under the leadership of Joseph, resists Vespasian quite successfully until Joseph must remove himself to a cave and finally surrender. After being transported to Rome, Joseph again demonstrates his wisdom by directing victory in a simulated naval battle in the colosseum. Eventually, Joseph is adopted into a Roman family and becomes Josephus Flavius. As Josephus, he attempts to persuade the Judeans to surrender, rather than fighting to the death, but he is again rebuffed.
As mentioned, the novel sees the participation of a number of historical characters, among them Roman emperors Nero, Galba, Otho, Vitellius, Vespasian and Titus, Christian Paul of Tarsus, and the evil Judeans, John of Gischala and Simon bar Giora. Joseph is repeatedly visited by a messenger of God named Elijah, who eventually persuades him to write the story of this war with Rome.
Josephus is at times entertaining, at times grisly, realistic, and in my opinion Mr. Antler should be commended for bringing this piece of history to life.
As the novel opens, Rome is in control of Jerusalem under the poor leadership of a man named Gessius. The Romans decide to ruthlessly slaughter innocent Judeans in the marketplace. Judeans gather and discuss reprisal and Joseph, who represents the Pharisees, preaches peace, but is shouted down by members of the Zealots and Sadducees. The Judeans recapture Antonia Fortress in Jerusalem and expel the Romans, and by so doing prove to be just as harsh and merciless as the Romans. Gessius is executed by Roman emperor Nero and another budding emperor, Vespasian, commences the reconquest of Judea, besieging a city named Jotapata. Jotapata under the leadership of Joseph, resists Vespasian quite successfully until Joseph must remove himself to a cave and finally surrender. After being transported to Rome, Joseph again demonstrates his wisdom by directing victory in a simulated naval battle in the colosseum. Eventually, Joseph is adopted into a Roman family and becomes Josephus Flavius. As Josephus, he attempts to persuade the Judeans to surrender, rather than fighting to the death, but he is again rebuffed.
As mentioned, the novel sees the participation of a number of historical characters, among them Roman emperors Nero, Galba, Otho, Vitellius, Vespasian and Titus, Christian Paul of Tarsus, and the evil Judeans, John of Gischala and Simon bar Giora. Joseph is repeatedly visited by a messenger of God named Elijah, who eventually persuades him to write the story of this war with Rome.
Josephus is at times entertaining, at times grisly, realistic, and in my opinion Mr. Antler should be commended for bringing this piece of history to life.
May 10, 2021
Disclosure: was lent this book by booktasters and the author in exchange of an honest review. I'd recommend you read it too.
Josephus overshot every expectation of mine by far. The story itself alone is beautiful in a manner which is hard to describe, but the real magic lies in its real life origins in the first Jewish Roman war.
The historical accuracies to the real story and to life in ancient Rome and that of the Jews surprised me- there is little altered by the author for the sake of romanticism.
Also, opposed to a lot of books not written by full-time authors, Josephus is quite professional- its edited like an actual book, the illustrations are amazing and there are no ignorant grammatical errors.
Josephus takes you through the horrors of war almost firsthand. You manage to find a special place in your heart for even the villains by the end and will find yourself absorbed in the story throughout.
Josephus is a heartbreaking yet energizing tale of hatred, love, war, and history.
Hands down, the best historical novel I have read.
Josephus overshot every expectation of mine by far. The story itself alone is beautiful in a manner which is hard to describe, but the real magic lies in its real life origins in the first Jewish Roman war.
The historical accuracies to the real story and to life in ancient Rome and that of the Jews surprised me- there is little altered by the author for the sake of romanticism.
Also, opposed to a lot of books not written by full-time authors, Josephus is quite professional- its edited like an actual book, the illustrations are amazing and there are no ignorant grammatical errors.
Josephus takes you through the horrors of war almost firsthand. You manage to find a special place in your heart for even the villains by the end and will find yourself absorbed in the story throughout.
Josephus is a heartbreaking yet energizing tale of hatred, love, war, and history.
Hands down, the best historical novel I have read.
October 20, 2020
Josephus
The story of Josephus, a Judean who overcomes all obstacles in a most unusual way. Guided by Elijah, a messenger from God, Josephus uses the information given to him to rise to power. From fighting a war longer than expected to saving the life of those who were his captors. Will he use his power and influence to save the remaining Judeans and tell their story?
#GoodreadsGiveaway
The story of Josephus, a Judean who overcomes all obstacles in a most unusual way. Guided by Elijah, a messenger from God, Josephus uses the information given to him to rise to power. From fighting a war longer than expected to saving the life of those who were his captors. Will he use his power and influence to save the remaining Judeans and tell their story?
#GoodreadsGiveaway
February 7, 2022
Reading this book was more like reading a documentary than reading a novel. Of course,I do not know to what extent the information and details of the book are true, but in any case, reading this book gave me a new experience of historical books.
Reading it took longer than I thought because of the sometimes heavy atmosphere and Violent page of the book ... I am used to describing the senses with colors and the world depicted in this book was "gray" for me.
Finally, I am extremely grateful to the dear author of this book for his child (always called books, Are the children of their authors) gave me to get acquainted with it and read it.✨
خواندن این کتاب بیشتر از اینکه حس خواندن یک رمان را داشته باشد، حس مطالعه ی مستند را داشت. البته من نمیدانم که اطلاعات و جزئیات کتاب تا چه حدی با واقعیت تطابق دارد ولی در هر حال، خواندن این کتاب برای من تجربه ی جدیدی از کتاب های تاریخی را داد.
خواندنش مدتی بیشتر از آنچه فکر میکردم طول کشید به خاطر فضای گاها سنگین و خشونت آمیز کتاب...
من عادت دارم حس ها را با رنگ ها توصیف میکنم و دنیای به تصویر درآمده در این کتاب برای من خاکستری بود.
در نهایت بی نهایت از نویسنده ی عزیز این کتاب متشکرم که فرزندش را ( همیشه میگویند کتاب ها، فرزندان نویسنده هایشان هستند) در اختیار من قرار داد تا با آن آشنا شوم و مطالعه اش کنم .✨
Reading it took longer than I thought because of the sometimes heavy atmosphere and Violent page of the book ... I am used to describing the senses with colors and the world depicted in this book was "gray" for me.
Finally, I am extremely grateful to the dear author of this book for his child (always called books, Are the children of their authors) gave me to get acquainted with it and read it.✨
خواندن این کتاب بیشتر از اینکه حس خواندن یک رمان را داشته باشد، حس مطالعه ی مستند را داشت. البته من نمیدانم که اطلاعات و جزئیات کتاب تا چه حدی با واقعیت تطابق دارد ولی در هر حال، خواندن این کتاب برای من تجربه ی جدیدی از کتاب های تاریخی را داد.
خواندنش مدتی بیشتر از آنچه فکر میکردم طول کشید به خاطر فضای گاها سنگین و خشونت آمیز کتاب...
من عادت دارم حس ها را با رنگ ها توصیف میکنم و دنیای به تصویر درآمده در این کتاب برای من خاکستری بود.
در نهایت بی نهایت از نویسنده ی عزیز این کتاب متشکرم که فرزندش را ( همیشه میگویند کتاب ها، فرزندان نویسنده هایشان هستند) در اختیار من قرار داد تا با آن آشنا شوم و مطالعه اش کنم .✨
October 25, 2021
Hard to read and enjoy (as literature)
I chose to give historical fiction a try because I was curious about a novel happening on the 1st century AD.
There's a lot of historical places -and many battles- described in great detail.
It shows the author did his research in trying to portray an era and persons that have their place in history. Bravo.
However, a lot of people die. A lot. And we read how they die and how they look when they die. In great detail.
It was a torturous read, one, because there was a constant fine line between fiction and textbook history, throwing in bits of encyclopedic information; two, the narrative is choppy- gave me the impression that I was reading a sort of script for a streaming series sometimes, a sort of documentary other times; three, most males were depicted as ferocious war-loving perverts, gluttons, and drunkards that never change, while the few women mentioned are mostly whores, temptresses, concubines, dancers, or sex slaves. Women in this novel are either sexpots, slain in graphic detail or humiliated by abuse and rape. Truly nauseating.
Four, there is a religious undertone, mainly because of the main character named Josephus, and the point in history he lived. Sometimes the theological arguments, reflections, and revelations sound uncarefully crafted.
The amount and frequency of gratuitous gore, graphic violence, lewd sexual encounters, and rape, preceded or followed by scenes of pious prayer is beyond me, moreover inexcusable, specially at this point in time.
I hope the author takes this honest review as an opportunity to reflect on his craft.
PS. Was chocolate available in Judea on the 1st century AD?????????
I chose to give historical fiction a try because I was curious about a novel happening on the 1st century AD.
There's a lot of historical places -and many battles- described in great detail.
It shows the author did his research in trying to portray an era and persons that have their place in history. Bravo.
However, a lot of people die. A lot. And we read how they die and how they look when they die. In great detail.
It was a torturous read, one, because there was a constant fine line between fiction and textbook history, throwing in bits of encyclopedic information; two, the narrative is choppy- gave me the impression that I was reading a sort of script for a streaming series sometimes, a sort of documentary other times; three, most males were depicted as ferocious war-loving perverts, gluttons, and drunkards that never change, while the few women mentioned are mostly whores, temptresses, concubines, dancers, or sex slaves. Women in this novel are either sexpots, slain in graphic detail or humiliated by abuse and rape. Truly nauseating.
Four, there is a religious undertone, mainly because of the main character named Josephus, and the point in history he lived. Sometimes the theological arguments, reflections, and revelations sound uncarefully crafted.
The amount and frequency of gratuitous gore, graphic violence, lewd sexual encounters, and rape, preceded or followed by scenes of pious prayer is beyond me, moreover inexcusable, specially at this point in time.
I hope the author takes this honest review as an opportunity to reflect on his craft.
PS. Was chocolate available in Judea on the 1st century AD?????????
November 1, 2020
Thank you to Goodreads for the opportunity to read this ARC.
This is a retelling of the works of Josephus, which I have been wanting to read for a while now, so I was thrilled to be chosen for and advance copy. The story is about Joseph, who is Jewish during the time of the Roman occupation, approximately 60 A.D. The cruelty of the Romans to not only the Jewish people, but to anyone, even other Romans is terrible to read, but true none the less.
The story in itself was very interesting and captivating and kept me interested. I would recommend this book to anyone who would like to learn more about that period of history.
This is a retelling of the works of Josephus, which I have been wanting to read for a while now, so I was thrilled to be chosen for and advance copy. The story is about Joseph, who is Jewish during the time of the Roman occupation, approximately 60 A.D. The cruelty of the Romans to not only the Jewish people, but to anyone, even other Romans is terrible to read, but true none the less.
The story in itself was very interesting and captivating and kept me interested. I would recommend this book to anyone who would like to learn more about that period of history.
January 4, 2021
Author made excellent usage of historical information over 2,000 years ago yet made it completely relevant to tell the story of Josephus he wanted to be told. So many people will take a historical figure then choose to make him a good guy or a bad guy, this author simply humanized him which makes it an extremely intriguing tale. Best historical fiction I've read in quite a while.
October 7, 2021
More than 500 pages of wars, battles, man slaughter and torture that really went so fast.
For Josephus, Contradictions show in his personality, at first I felt his picture near perfectionism, or prophet-like, until the moment he swears for the first time.
For myself, this is the first time I hear or read about him, so it was like being introduced to him, for historians or people interested in studying the Old Testament this might be a story to judge Joseph from a different perspective.
I really liked Titus, as he was a man of his word, but Joseph remains the character that needs analyzing for a while after finishing his story.
A note on the description of brutalities and cruelty that people suffered and imposed on each other in that era, it was really hard to imagine all of that real without shuddering, were humans that barbarous in the past, or they still are but in a different way?
Overall, the story is a real epic, chapeau for the author for digging in all that history to complete this wonderful piece of literature!
For Josephus, Contradictions show in his personality, at first I felt his picture near perfectionism, or prophet-like, until the moment he swears for the first time.
For myself, this is the first time I hear or read about him, so it was like being introduced to him, for historians or people interested in studying the Old Testament this might be a story to judge Joseph from a different perspective.
I really liked Titus, as he was a man of his word, but Joseph remains the character that needs analyzing for a while after finishing his story.
A note on the description of brutalities and cruelty that people suffered and imposed on each other in that era, it was really hard to imagine all of that real without shuddering, were humans that barbarous in the past, or they still are but in a different way?
Overall, the story is a real epic, chapeau for the author for digging in all that history to complete this wonderful piece of literature!
July 15, 2021
A wonderfully written historical fiction. You can tell that the author researched this well. The author admits that he took liberties in the creation of this novel, which is fine by me. It just highlights his talent for creativity. His writing style is rich, descriptive, and was easy for me to visualize the scenes as I read. There's war, mayhem, sex and violence. It gave me an eye opening account of what life was like in those times. I highly recommend this book to all that enjoy historical fiction. I can't wait to see what else this brilliant young author comes up with! Well done!
January 19, 2021
From page one this book just captured my soul and I couldn’t put it down. It’s a fiction book but based on historical fact. The author did a lot of research but it tells of the lives, bodies, souls, dream, horrors and life in biblical times. It has everything in it: murder, war, suicide, sex, drunkenness. A lot of it seemed unbelievable but in those times that’s how people lived. It’s written well, plotted well and a great read! To still be thought about so many thousands of years later, a truly remarkable read!
Want to read
October 7, 2020Have not read it yet but hope to soon
January 13, 2024
Very fast paced book. I think I had failed to realize how bloody and gruesome the Roman seize on Jerusalem was. Since I haven’t yet read all the works of Josephus to know how fact/fiction the book portrays his life, I won’t comment on this. The story is gripping and it is a hard to put down book and I would read more from this author.
June 2, 2023
A waste of my time. Historical fiction should be somewhat accurate historically. This book is not! If you like history and fiction and you’re interested in Ancient Rome, read Douglas Jackson’s excellent series starting with “Caligula”.
February 9, 2022
Josephus:A novel might be a work of fiction, but it is amazingly interesting. We have heard of Josephus the historian and the Author made sure we understood the background(fiction),to understand why he remained standing after all he had been through. It is quite graphic, eloquently written and intriguing. You cannot put it down until you're done reading.
September 16, 2020
I won this in a Goodreads giveaway.
I was greatly intrigued by the premise (which is why I entered), even though I had never heard of Josephus before. Antler does explain that this is a work of fiction that is based on true events--he just takes liberties with some of those events. He does he best to stay true to the accounts of the characters while describing the Judean war against the Romans between 66 and 73 C.E.
It's initially led by Nero, and one of the Roman soldiers is Titus. Josephus struggles to prevent the divisions of Jews, two of which are led by men named John and Simon, from fighting each other and not the Romans.
Titus shows the most growth, understanding what it means to balance between his roles of soldier, son, friend, and Roman citizen.
John is atrocious, and shows no remorse.
Simon spirals down to debauchery.
Josephus ends up as a Roman citizen and is periodically visited by Elijah--and a last time Elijah tells him he stayed true to God but....I don't think he did given the fact that it was mentioned he became so drunk he forgot it was the Sabbath (and I wouldn't be surprised if this was more than once).
It's a long book. And it's not really for me. By the time I was 20%, I realized if I hadn't won this, I'd mark it as DNF. It's not that Antler's writing is bad, it's that I was personally bored.
I was also incredibly thrown off by the language. Antler warns us that there are some graphic scenes that he couldn't avoid, and as grotesque as they are (like bashing babies' heads), we need to know how people treat(ed) each other.
But I still thought this would be more...well, appropriate overall. The language is awful and not at all expected. And I think I read someone say that there are "steamy scenes"--but I didn't realize the rape of all sorts of people and orgies that purposely show the immorality of Romans would be considered steamy.
It's repetitive at times, and provides story of characters that don't matter. I get that Antler wants us seeing an average person, but it made the story unnecessarily longer and drag on even more.
I did see one typo, but one in a book this long is incredible. I'm not pointing it out as a negative, but I know some authors like to know (Chapter 7: "John had not even previously consider tangling with..." when it should be considered).
I really liked seeing how Titus and Josephus became "brothers," but after that I didn't care much.
I was greatly intrigued by the premise (which is why I entered), even though I had never heard of Josephus before. Antler does explain that this is a work of fiction that is based on true events--he just takes liberties with some of those events. He does he best to stay true to the accounts of the characters while describing the Judean war against the Romans between 66 and 73 C.E.
It's initially led by Nero, and one of the Roman soldiers is Titus. Josephus struggles to prevent the divisions of Jews, two of which are led by men named John and Simon, from fighting each other and not the Romans.
Titus shows the most growth, understanding what it means to balance between his roles of soldier, son, friend, and Roman citizen.
John is atrocious, and shows no remorse.
Simon spirals down to debauchery.
Josephus ends up as a Roman citizen and is periodically visited by Elijah--and a last time Elijah tells him he stayed true to God but....I don't think he did given the fact that it was mentioned he became so drunk he forgot it was the Sabbath (and I wouldn't be surprised if this was more than once).
It's a long book. And it's not really for me. By the time I was 20%, I realized if I hadn't won this, I'd mark it as DNF. It's not that Antler's writing is bad, it's that I was personally bored.
I was also incredibly thrown off by the language. Antler warns us that there are some graphic scenes that he couldn't avoid, and as grotesque as they are (like bashing babies' heads), we need to know how people treat(ed) each other.
But I still thought this would be more...well, appropriate overall. The language is awful and not at all expected. And I think I read someone say that there are "steamy scenes"--but I didn't realize the rape of all sorts of people and orgies that purposely show the immorality of Romans would be considered steamy.
It's repetitive at times, and provides story of characters that don't matter. I get that Antler wants us seeing an average person, but it made the story unnecessarily longer and drag on even more.
I did see one typo, but one in a book this long is incredible. I'm not pointing it out as a negative, but I know some authors like to know (Chapter 7: "John had not even previously consider tangling with..." when it should be considered).
I really liked seeing how Titus and Josephus became "brothers," but after that I didn't care much.
December 2, 2022
The story begins with the difficult situation in which the Judeans find themselves before the Romans, they are demanding huge sums of money for the taxes that the current Caesar, Nero, is demanding from them. The person in charge of taking control in Jerusalem fails to collect the money and makes the mistake of assassinating the high priest which causes the rebellion of the Judeans; whom retaliate with the murder and expulsion of all the Romans who are situated in Jerusalem.
The Caesar sends his general Vespasian to put the Judeans in order and retake Jerusalem, at the same time, Josephus, son of Matthias, a Judean priest, is appointed as governor of Jotapata to organize and prepare the defense of the city against the inevitable Roman invasion. The Romans take Jerusalem again and Josephus is arrested and sent to answer for the rebellion of the Judeans against the Caesar's orders.
Titus Flavius, son of Vespasian, is assigned to take Josephus before the Caesar, on the way to Rome, they find themselves in a great storm that makes them shipwreck on an island commanded by cannibalistic aborigines, Josephus manages to buy time for the Romans to rescue them, thus earning the appreciation of Titus
Once in Rome, Caesar Nero condemns him to fight in one of his bloodthirsty games where he confronts his Roman troops against those who are condemned in a ship war like representation at the Roman colosseum, to everyone’s surprise, Josephus wins and is pardoned by the Caesar and moreover, he is invited to that night’s festivities where Josephus saves the life of the General Vespasian, keeping him from choking on food and for that he wins the title of Flavius, he then adopts the life of a Roman
Josephus is known as a bible historian, registering all of these and more stories throughout the length of his existence. The story depicts very crude, explicit and violent scenes, so, watch out. It is a very detailed story with lots of history context. I really liked this novel, got hooked right from the beginning.
The Caesar sends his general Vespasian to put the Judeans in order and retake Jerusalem, at the same time, Josephus, son of Matthias, a Judean priest, is appointed as governor of Jotapata to organize and prepare the defense of the city against the inevitable Roman invasion. The Romans take Jerusalem again and Josephus is arrested and sent to answer for the rebellion of the Judeans against the Caesar's orders.
Titus Flavius, son of Vespasian, is assigned to take Josephus before the Caesar, on the way to Rome, they find themselves in a great storm that makes them shipwreck on an island commanded by cannibalistic aborigines, Josephus manages to buy time for the Romans to rescue them, thus earning the appreciation of Titus
Once in Rome, Caesar Nero condemns him to fight in one of his bloodthirsty games where he confronts his Roman troops against those who are condemned in a ship war like representation at the Roman colosseum, to everyone’s surprise, Josephus wins and is pardoned by the Caesar and moreover, he is invited to that night’s festivities where Josephus saves the life of the General Vespasian, keeping him from choking on food and for that he wins the title of Flavius, he then adopts the life of a Roman
Josephus is known as a bible historian, registering all of these and more stories throughout the length of his existence. The story depicts very crude, explicit and violent scenes, so, watch out. It is a very detailed story with lots of history context. I really liked this novel, got hooked right from the beginning.
February 14, 2022
Reading this book was more like reading a documentary than reading a novel. Of course,I do not know to what extent the information and details of the book are true, but in any case, reading this book gave me a new experience of historical books.
Reading it took longer than I thought because of the sometimes heavy atmosphere and Violent page of the book ... I am used to describing the senses with colors and the world depicted in this book was "gray" for me.
Finally, I am extremely grateful to the dear author of this book for his child (always called books, Are the children of their authors) gave me to get acquainted with it and read it.✨
خواندن این کتاب بیشتر از اینکه حس خواندن یک رمان را داشته باشد، حس مطالعه ی مستند را داشت. البته من نمیدانم که اطلاعات و جزئیات کتاب تا چه حدی با واقعیت تطابق دارد ولی در هر حال، خواندن این کتاب برای من تجربه ی جدیدی از کتاب های تاریخی را داد.
خواندنش مدتی بیشتر از آنچه فکر میکردم طول کشید به خاطر فضای گاها سنگین و خشونت آمیز کتاب...
من عادت دارم حس ها را با رنگ ها توصیف میکنم و دنیای به تصویر درآمده در این کتاب برای من خاکستری بود.
در نهایت بی نهایت از نویسنده ی عزیز این کتاب متشکرم که فرزندش را ( همیشه میگویند کتاب ها، فرزندان نویسنده هایشان هستند) در اختیار من قرار داد تا با آن آشنا شوم و مطالعه اش کنم .✨
Reading it took longer than I thought because of the sometimes heavy atmosphere and Violent page of the book ... I am used to describing the senses with colors and the world depicted in this book was "gray" for me.
Finally, I am extremely grateful to the dear author of this book for his child (always called books, Are the children of their authors) gave me to get acquainted with it and read it.✨
خواندن این کتاب بیشتر از اینکه حس خواندن یک رمان را داشته باشد، حس مطالعه ی مستند را داشت. البته من نمیدانم که اطلاعات و جزئیات کتاب تا چه حدی با واقعیت تطابق دارد ولی در هر حال، خواندن این کتاب برای من تجربه ی جدیدی از کتاب های تاریخی را داد.
خواندنش مدتی بیشتر از آنچه فکر میکردم طول کشید به خاطر فضای گاها سنگین و خشونت آمیز کتاب...
من عادت دارم حس ها را با رنگ ها توصیف میکنم و دنیای به تصویر درآمده در این کتاب برای من خاکستری بود.
در نهایت بی نهایت از نویسنده ی عزیز این کتاب متشکرم که فرزندش را ( همیشه میگویند کتاب ها، فرزندان نویسنده هایشان هستند) در اختیار من قرار داد تا با آن آشنا شوم و مطالعه اش کنم .✨
July 10, 2020
Full disclosure, I helped edit this novel.
It has come a long way and it was my great pleasure to help polish this gem into its current form. The story of Josephus is truly epic and the author has done a great job in bringing us a taste of life during the first century. This great story arc is punctuated with some great turns of phrase and dramatic flair along with poignant historical references.
If I ever write a first novel, I hope it to be half as good as this one.
It has come a long way and it was my great pleasure to help polish this gem into its current form. The story of Josephus is truly epic and the author has done a great job in bringing us a taste of life during the first century. This great story arc is punctuated with some great turns of phrase and dramatic flair along with poignant historical references.
If I ever write a first novel, I hope it to be half as good as this one.
didnt-finish
September 23, 2020Too much sex and violence for me. I wish the comment about “steamy sex scenes” hadn’t been at the end of the extremely long synopsis because i never would have picked it up if I’d seen those words. However, I’m not sure what is steamy: a giant man with a giant dick raping two children, or a man who howls like a wolf while banging his wife’s sister, who moans like an otter...
October 31, 2020
So disappointing! I was so looking forward to reading this book especially after the author talked about the extensive research he did. Unfortunately it read like an undergraduate term paper with silly, sometimes idiotic, dialogue thrown in just so it could be called a novel. In my opinion, the author should have left out the awful dialogue and wrote a nonfiction book.
February 2, 2021
As a novel, the writing style did not keep me interested. I didn't connect with any of the characters. It read more like a dramatization from a documentary film.
There were also many modern language uses that didn't fit the setting for the story.
There were also many modern language uses that didn't fit the setting for the story.
February 27, 2021
Ok this was one of the most boring books I've ever read. Even without the Hebrew errors (plus they spoke Aramaic, not Hebrew) it was a slog to get through.
The writing was pedantic, the characters, stereotypes.
The writing was pedantic, the characters, stereotypes.
February 19, 2021
Well, as the author if I didn't read my own book, and give it five stars, there would be legitimate concerns about the quality of my work!
BMA
BMA
September 16, 2020
I won this book on a goodreads giveaway. It was a little more graphic than maybe it needed to be but it was well written and kept me entertained throughout.
April 12, 2022
Excellent read, highly recommended… I couldn’t put it down… from the Title to the first sentence, I was drawn into the story.. great pictures as well. Definitely a great read !
Read
May 15, 2022The author really did his research into the time period. Very interesting work of historical fiction.
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