JOSEPHUS (Romano-Jewish historian, c. 37-100 CE)
Flavius Josephus was born in Jerusalem under Roman rule. He headed Jewish forces against the Romans in Galilee, surrendering in 67 CE after a six-week siege. Impressed by the young man, the Roman leader Vespasian kept him as a slave and, after becoming emperor, gave him his freedom. Granted Roman citizenship, he served on the Roman side at the siege of Jerusalem in 70 CE. Writing in Greek, he recorded the Jewish history of the first century CE in The Jewish War; his 20-volume Antiquities of the Jews starts with Biblical "history" from Adam and Eve and leads up to his day.
- Some manuscripts of the Antiquities mention Jesus, his brother James, and John the Baptist. Scholars argue over how much, if any, of this was written by Josephus; if authentic, it would clearly have significance as an independent confirmation of some aspects of the Bible accounts.
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