Josephuss

Josephuss is not a commonly used historical name in standard scholarship; the figure most often associated with this term is Flavius Josephus, the 1st century Jewish-Roman historian. Josephus was born Yosef ben Matityahu around 37 CE in Jerusalem to a priestly family. He lived during a tumultuous period in Judea and became a Pharisee before his capture by Roman forces during the First Jewish–Roman War.

After surrendering to the Romans, Josephus was granted Roman citizenship by Vespasian and adopted the family name Flavius. He spent much of his later life in Rome, where he wrote in Greek and sought to present Jewish history and culture within a Greco-Roman frame. His works were intended to defend Judaism before a Roman audience and to explain the Jewish revolt in terms accessible to contemporary readers.

His principal writings are The Jewish War (Bellum Judaicum), which covers the events of the rebellion from its beginnings to the fall of Jerusalem in 70 CE, and Antiquities of the Jews (Antiquitates Judaicae), a sweeping history of the Jewish people from Creation to the outbreak of the later Roman period. He also wrote The Life (Autobiography), which provides autobiographical details and reflections on his career as a historian.

Josephus’ works are indispensable sources for the history of Judea in the late Second Temple period and for early references to early Christianity. However, scholars note possible biases and questions about certain passages, including debates over the authenticity of the Testimonium Flavianum, a brief reference to Jesus.

Notes: the spelling Josephuss is uncommon; the standard form is Josephus.