Way Behind: Jewish War 1.1-186

Way behind, but I've read the first 186 of War 1.

Mostly boring--so and so attacked so and so. Then so and so attacked so and so. Josephus is also often wrong in his reconstruction, at least when you compare him to 1 Maccabees, which is almost 200 years earlier. Mostly on the Maccabees.

Of interest are his comments on Judah the Essene (1.78-80), on the Pharisees (1.110-12), and on Pompey's entrance into the Holy of Holies (1.152).

Mention of soul (1.84) and he supports Paul's Arabia as the Nabatean kingdom with Petra as capital.

Schedule for Jewish War Book 1

Feb. 1: 1-34
Feb. 2: 35-68
Feb. 3: 69-102
Feb. 4: 103-36
Feb. 5: 137-70
Feb. 6: 171-204
Feb. 7: 205-38
Feb. 8: 239-72
Feb. 9: 273-306
Feb. 10: 307-340
Feb. 11: 341-74
Feb. 12: 375-408
Feb. 13: 409-42
Feb. 14: 443-76
Feb. 15: 477-510
Feb. 16: 511-44
Feb. 17: 545-78
Feb. 18: 579-612
Feb. 19: 613-46
Feb. 20: 647-73

Apion Book 2 finished... (2.181-296)

... and only a week behind. :-)

This last section largely deals with the excellence of the Law in comparison with other races, especially the Greeks. Here are some interesting bits:

• God is the beginning, middle, and end of all things (2.190).
• Again, Hebrews watch, Josephus speaks of the temple and its operations as if they were still going on (2.193ff).
• Josephus understands the Law to imply monogamy and sex only for procreation (2.199).
• Interesting interpolation on women I discuss elsewhere (2.201).
• Stuff on soul (2.202-3)
• Prophecy background to 2 Peter 1 (2.218).
• Josephus' view of resurrection (2.218).
• Allegorical defense of the ancient myths (2.255).
• God permeates the universe (2.284)
• Everything in the universe is under the eye and direction of God (2.294).

Now on to the Jewish War.

Apion 2.79-175

Almost a week behind, but hope to finish Apion this weekend.

Interesting and strange rumors about Jewish practices--like kidnapping and sacrificing a Greek (95).

Interesting description of the temple holiness layers (103-5).

Interesting comments on sin:
"to those who believe that their lives are under the eye of God all sin is intolerable" (160).

"our leader [Moses] made the Law the standard and rule, that we might live under it as under a father and master, and be guilty of no sin through wilfulness or ignorance" (174).

The word theocracy is used at 165 in description of Mosaic rule.

God is the One, uncreated, immutable God, whose being itself is beyond knowledge, inscrutable (167).

Godliness for Moses, according to Josephus, is not one virtue but the virtue of which other virtues are only a part (e.g., justice, temperance, etc.) 170.