Josephus’ Autobiography (Life of Josephus)

Flavius Josephus's little work, Life of Josephus has much to teach us about Josephus's values, assumptions, style, literary interests, and historiography. One of the hardest things to find in it is the life of Josephus. This chapter shows why that is so. It assists new readers of the work by contextualizing it historically and considering its purposes, contents, structures, and themes. At the end, the chapter discusses the work's historical utility, comparing it for that purpose with parallel material in Book 2 of the Judean War. Josephus's Life, dates to 93/94 C.E., and the chapter examines the text within the larger context of Romans writing about the lives of great men in several (overlapping) genres. It can be concluded that the Life appeared as a companion to the Judean Antiquities, at some time before Domitian's assassination on September 18, 96 C.E.