Flavius Josephus

Flavius Josephus (Roman-Jewish historian) was a Jewish general in the revolt of 66 AD who was captured by the Romans and became a Roman historian writing from the Jewish point of view. Captured by Vespasian, he (reported that he ) predicted that Vespasian would become emperor, which he did. Vespasian later granted freedom to Josephus and Josephus adopted the Vespasian family name of Flavius.

The ancient Greek word "μικρολογιαν" ≈ "meticulous argument" and means, literally, "insignificant words". It can mean "mean" as in "not nice". Josephus uses this word once in the Jewish Antiquities in the story of Jacob and Laban.

English: To this she replied that with regard to her parents' humanity he judged aright, but she upbraided him for suspecting them of meanness, for he should have everything free of cost; however, she would first speak to her brother Laban and with his consent would bring him in.

Greek: ἡ δὲ περὶ μὲν τῆς τῶν γονέων φιλανθρωπίας αὐτῆς ὀρθῶσεἰκάζειν αὐτὸν εἶπεν, ἐπεμέμφετο δὲ ὡς μικρολόγους ὑπειληφότα·πάντων γὰρ ἀμισθὶ μεθέξειν. δηλώσασα μέντοι Λαβάνῳ πρότεροντἀδελφῷ συγχωροῦντος ἄξειν αὐτὸν ἔλεγεν.

Loeb #242, p 122. Josephus: Jewish Antiquities 1.

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After Nebuchadnezzar puts Zedekiah in charge of Israel and goes back to Babylon, Zedekiah listens to his false prophets and decides to revolt.

Nebuchadnezzar is not happy to have to come back from Babylon to take care of the insurrection.

In the first century, Josephus records that Zedekiah had made fun of the prophet Jeremiah because of the inconsistency he saw in Jeremiah's prophecies. They came true in a manner Zedekiah had not anticipated.

More: The original Babel and Babylon

In the first century, Josephus records that Zedekiah made fun of Jeremiah for his conflicting, in his view, prophecies.

Jeremiah prophesied that Zedekiah would never see Babylon.
Jeremiah prophesied that Zedekiah would die in Babylon.

Zedekiah did not anticipate how both of these could be fulfilled.

Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, book X, section 106.

More: The original Babel and Babylon

Josephus uses the ancient Greek word "αδιάλείπτως" ≈ "uninterrupted"16 times in "The Jewish War" (with various ending inflections).

Details are left as a future topic.

I could not find other Greek writers who might have used this word.

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As a tax collector Zacchaeus would have been hated by the Jews. Would Zacchaeus want to be in a crowd of people who hated him?

Later in the first century, Josephus records that when crowds gathered, it was not uncommon for an assassin in a crowd would pull out a long thin and small dagger and quietly stab a person from behind. That assassin could then drop the weapon or otherwise disperse without being noticed and without witnesses.

A group for which this is named is the "Sicarii" who were a splinter group of the "Zealots" who had an important part in the Jewish War against Rome that ended in the destruction of the temple in 70 A.D. and the ultimate dispersion of the Jews from Judea.

The Latin word "sicarius" ≈ "dagger-wielder". From this comes the Spanish word "sicario" ≈ "salaried assassin" with variants in Italian and Portuguese.

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According to Josephus, in 70 A.D., near the end of the Jewish War (Rebellion), Roman General and future Emperor Titus did not want the temple destroyed. He ordered the 500 year old temple to be spared.

The temple caught on fire and melted the gold into the cracks the temple. To get the gold, the temple was taken apart piece by piece. Today, only the temple mount remains. This is just as Jesus had said.

More: Daniel 9:25-27 Daniel prophecy

Genesis 22:2 And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. [kjv]

και ειπεν λαβε τον υιον σου τον αγαπητον ον ηγαπησας τον ισαακ και πορευθητι εις την γην την υψηλην και ανενεγκον αυτον εκει εις ολοκαρπωσιν εφ εν των ορεων ων αν σοι ειπω [lxx]

Abraham goes to Mount Moriah. By Jewish tradition, Isaac was about 33 years old when this happened, about the same age as Jesus when he was crucified. A prophet did not start his career until age 30.

At the end of the first century, Josephus, in his history of the Jews, gives the age of Isaac as 25.

Isaac was not a young child as often portrayed in books for children or in many sermons by pastors.

More: Mount Moriah and Golgotha

Galatians 1:14 And profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers. [kjv]

Philippians 3:6 Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. [kjv]

However, it does not appear that the association of the Greek word for "zealot" with the Hebrew word "קנאי" (kana) ≈ "fanatic" was made until Josephus wrote his history of the Jewish war at the end of the first century.

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Josephus, writing some 30 years after Paul, uses the Greek word "allegory" twice (in his many works).

In both instances, the translators use the modern word "allegory" though the literal meaning of "other than what is explicitly said" appear to fit both contexts.

Josephus in the preface to Antiquities of the Jews. The literal meaning of "other than what is explicitly said" appear to fit "allegory".

English: For all things have here a reference to the nature of the universe: while our legislator speaks some things wisely, but enigmatically; and others under a decent allegory: but still explains such things as required a direct explication plainly and expressly.

https://penelope.uchicago.edu/josephus/ant-pref.html#EndNote_Ant_Pre.5a (as of 2023-04-15)

Greek: … πάνταγὰρ τῇ τῶν ὅλων φύσει σύμφωνον ἔχει τὴν διάθεσιν, τὰ μὲν πάντα τοῦ νομοθέτου δεξιῶς, τὰ δ᾿ ἀλληγοροῦντος μετὰ σεμνότητος, ὅσα δ᾿ ἐξ εὐθείας λέγεσθαι συνέφερε, ταῦτα ῥητῶς ἐμφανίζοντος.

Wikisource. (as of 2023-04-15)

Josephus in Against Apion 2.30. The literal meaning of "other than what is explicitly said" appear to fit "allegory".

English: But now, this Apollonius Molo was one of these foolish and proud men. However, nothing that I have said was unknown to those that were real philosophers among the Greeks; nor were they unacquainted with those frigid pretensions of allegories, [which had been alleged for such things.]

https://penelope.uchicago.edu/josephus/apion-2.html (as of 2023-04-15)

Greek: Ἀπολλώνιος μὲν οὖν ὁ Μόλων τῶν ἀπ᾿ εἷς ἦν καὶ τετυφωμένων, τοὺς μέντοι κατ᾿ ἀλήθειαν ἐν τοῖς Ἑλληνικοῖς τύχῃ τῶν προειρημένων οὐδὲν διέλαθεν οὔτε τὰς ψυχρὰς προφάσεις τῶν ἀλληγοριῶν ἠγνόησαν, διόπερ τῶν μὲν εἰκότως κατεφρόνησαν, …

Wikisource. (as of 2023-04-15)

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The ancient Greek word "κεραίζω" ≈ "plunder, prey" is not used in the GNT (Greek New Testament) but are used by other Greek authors including Herodotus and Homer.

Both words, however, are used in the same sentence by Josephus in the Jewish War, volume 6, 41:5.

πολλὰς δὲ κεραΐζοντεσὁπότ᾿ ἔνδον παρέλθοιεν ἐφ᾿ ἁρπαγήν

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The modern Greek word "ολιγαρχία" (o-lee-gar-KHEE-a) ≈ "oligarchy" or rule by a few.

This word is not found in the Bible Greek but does appear in Herodotus, Plutarch, Josephus, etc.

Αρχαιότητες 11 12:1 καὶ οἱ μὲν ὑπὲρ τούτων ἐπιδαψιλευόμενοι ταῖσθυσίαις καὶ τῇ περὶ τὸν θεὸν φιλοτιμίᾳ κατῴκησαν ἐν τοῖς Ἱεροσολύμοις πολιτείᾳ χρώμενοι ἀριστοκρατικῇ μετὰ ὀλιγαρχίας· οἱ γὰρἀρχιερεῖς προεστήκεσαν τῶν πραγμάτων ἄχρι οὗ τοὺς Ἀσαμωναίουσυνέβη βασιλεύειν ἐκγόνους. [jsphs]

More: A feud about a little less

Hanukkah is also known as the "Festival of Lights". Josephus records the festival by this name and not the name of "Hanukkah".

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English: For many angels of God now consorted with women and begat sons who were overbearing and disdainful of every virtue, such confidence had they in their strength; in fact the deeds that tradition ascribes to them resemble the audacious exploits told by the Greeks of the giants. (Jewish Antiquities, I, 73)

Greek: πολλοὶγὰρ ἄγγελοι θεοῦ γυναιξὶ συνιόντες τὸνβίον συνεδρίου παῖδας καὶπαντὸς ὑπερόπτας καλοῦ διὰ τὴν ἐπὶ τῇ δυνάμει πεποίθησιν· ὅμοιατοῖς ὑπὸ γιγάντων τετολμῆσθαι λεγομένοις ὑφ᾿ Ἑλλήνων καὶ οὗτοιδράσαι παραδίδονται. (Loeb #242, p. 35)

Examples: Centaur, Minotaur, etc. Whatever happened, this appears to have happened before the flood of Noah (with some additional references after the flood).

Until the 4th century A.D.: Angels had relations with humans to create hybrids. (Josephus)
Introduced in the 4th century A.D.: Sons of Seth married the daughters of Cain. (Augustine)

Genetic engineering before the flood: In Genesis 5 and as recorded by Josephus in the first century, these fallen angels appear to have consorted (had relations) with women. This "genetic" engineering created hybrids and was, in part, the reason for the flood of Noah. Noah was not "perfect" but his genes were not corrupted.

2 Peter 2:4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; [kjv]

The fallen angels got into trouble. So will humans, it appears.

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More: 2 Peter 2:1-22 Déjà vu all over again