Rating:  Summary: A true classic made superbly accessible to modern readers. Review: Enhanced with expert commentary by Paul L. Maier (Russell H. Seibert Professor of Ancient History at Western Michigan University), William Whiston's (1662-1752) translation of the historical writings of Josephus (c. A.D. 37-100) is now available in a completely revised, expanded, and linguistically updated edition. The New Complete Works Of Josephus is a core title for any academic or public library world history collection, Judaic studies or Roman history reading list, as well as of sustained interest to scholars and students of Mideast and Mediterranean antiquity. Whiston provides a much needed updating of vocabulary and spellings in all five of the complete and unabridged works by Josephus and presents them in a single volume. More than forty photographs of ancient sites and artifacts, numbers charts, tables, maps, cross reference numbers to the Geek text of Josephus in the Loeb Classical Library, a revised subject index, and an index of Old Testament texts paralleling Josephus' writings make this edition a very necessary acquisition. The New Complete Works Of Josephus is also available in hard cover.
Rating:  Summary: A true classic made superbly accessible to modern readers. Review: Enhanced with expert commentary by Paul L. Maier (Russell H. Seibert Professor of Ancient History at Western Michigan University), William Whiston's (1662-1752) translation of the historical writings of Josephus (c. A.D. 37-100) is now available in a completely revised, expanded, and linguistically updated edition. The New Complete Works Of Josephus is a core title for any academic or public library world history collection, Judaic studies or Roman history reading list, as well as of sustained interest to scholars and students of Mideast and Mediterranean antiquity. Whiston provides a much needed updating of vocabulary and spellings in all five of the complete and unabridged works by Josephus and presents them in a single volume. More than forty photographs of ancient sites and artifacts, numbers charts, tables, maps, cross reference numbers to the Geek text of Josephus in the Loeb Classical Library, a revised subject index, and an index of Old Testament texts paralleling Josephus' writings make this edition a very necessary acquisition. The New Complete Works Of Josephus is also available in hard cover.
Rating:  Summary: Simply Indispensable Review: For readers of Jewish history, this book contains an indispensable account of Jewish life during the Roman occupation of Judea. While Josephus is much cited by nearly every subsequent historian recapping this era, these cites cannot capture the nuanced ways in which the author's psychological portrait of the time's leaders. The translation is clear and readable, although a little stilted. The textual notes are dated and largely unhelpful to the modern reader.
Rating:  Summary: Simply Indispensable Review: For readers of Jewish history, this book contains an indispensable account of Jewish life during the Roman occupation of Judea. While Josephus is much cited by nearly every subsequent historian recapping this era, these cites cannot capture the nuanced ways in which the author's psychological portrait of the time's leaders. The translation is clear and readable, although a little stilted. The textual notes are dated and largely unhelpful to the modern reader.
Rating:  Summary: The Complete Works of Josephus Review: If you're looking for Josephus' works you've come to the right place. The text also has notes that help the reader understand the text better.
Rating:  Summary: The Complete Works of Josephus Review: If you're looking for Josephus' works you've come to the right place. The text also has notes that help the reader understand the text better.
Rating:  Summary: Almost worth five stars Review: In studying Judean history in the first century CE, there is no historian more important than Josephus, especially when one is interested in the study of the historical Jesus or of the world around him (the religious/social/political climate, etc.) Josephus is not only the only Jewish historian of this era to comment on Jesus, he is the only Jewish historian to thoroughly present the history as well as psychological outlook of Jews through a lengthy span of time. His works are immeasurably important to anyone interested in this line of study. This book contains all of his important works and more: his autobiography, Jewish Antiquities, The Jewish War, Against Apion, and an extract out of Josephus's Discource to the Greeks Concerning Hades (the last of which is EXTREMELY HELPFUL in understanding the Jewish view of the afterlife at the time of Josephus.) This edition of Josephus is helpful, with occasional essays on certain topics (i.e. "Josephus and the Romans" or the family tree of the House of Herod.) The translation is a little stale, but easy enough to understand (and I am assured that the faults in the original Whiston translation have been corrected.) The textual notes are VERY helpful, if a little dated and biased. It is for these negatives that I gave this work 4 stars instead of 5-- though I really am indebted to those who put together this extremely comprehensive, helpful volume of one of the most important historians relating to the history of Israel/Judea.
Rating:  Summary: All history should be written like this Review: Josephus' _Wars of the Jews_ is a masterpiece. His firsthand recounting of the Destructon of Jerusalem by Titus in 70AD is captivating and telling. To properly understand human action at the farthest extreme of desperation and depravity, one needs to read this book. It is a shame that Hebrew civilization is not honored in our view of history to the same extent that the Greek or Roman is.
Rating:  Summary: All history should be written like this Review: Josephus' _Wars of the Jews_ is a masterpiece. His firsthand recounting of the Destructon of Jerusalem by Titus in 70AD is captivating and telling. To properly understand human action at the farthest extreme of desperation and depravity, one needs to read this book. It is a shame that Hebrew civilization is not honored in our view of history to the same extent that the Greek or Roman is.
Rating:  Summary: GREAT BOOK! Review: THE ONLY THING I DID NOT LIKE IT, IS THE SMALL LETTERS. YOU GET TIRE AFTER A WHILE OF READING.
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