Matthew 1

Hebrew for Christians - Learn Hebrew for FREE! Joseph Prince Ministries :: The Works of Flavius Josephus Sacred-texts Judaism War of the Jews Antiquities of the Jews Autobiography Concerning Hades Against Apion Josephus was born Joseph ben Mattathias in 37 C.E. in Jerusalem of a priestly and royal family. He excelled in his studies of Jewish law and studied with the Sadducees, Pharisees, and the Essenes, eventually aligning himself with the Pharisees. In 62 C.E. he went to Rome to free some imprisoned priests. Although Josephus had deep misgivings about the revolt, it became inevitable, due to reasons he discusses in his history, primarily the abuses of the Romans; this spurred the growth of fanatical Messianic Jewish movements which believed that the world was coming to an end shortly. Josephus had to fight a defensive war against overwhelming force while refereeing internecine squabbles in the Jewish ranks. Josephus shrewdly reinterpreted the Messianic prophecies. His prophecy became true in 68 C.E. when Nero committed suicide and Vespasian became Ceasar. War of the Jews Book IBook II