Sepher Yosippon : A Tenth-Century History of Ancient Israel

555 Pages·2022·4.333 MB·English

by  Steven B. Bowman

Praise for Sepher Yosippon
“ Bowman’s work is a wonderful achievement of producing an English version
of David Flusser’s pioneering critical edition of the medieval anonymous
Sepher Yosippon, merged with new breathtaking notes. This is an absolutely
innovative and challenging accomplishment of a great connoisseur of medi-
eval Hebrew Literature.”
— Robert Bonfil, Emeritus Professor of Jewish History,
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
“S epher Yosippon is the major Hebrew source for Jewish Second Temple his-
tory. The translation by Steven Bowman enables everybody interested to
delve into this highly important work that shaped Jewish self- understanding
from the Middle Ages until the modern time.”
— Saskia Dönitz, author of Überlieferung und
Rezeption des Sefer Yosippon
“ The book known as Sepher Yosippon is probably the very first book written
in Hebrew on the continent of Europe, and it soon became one of the most
popular and widely read Hebrew books. Surprisingly, it has never before been
made available to English readers. Steven Bowman has done a great service
to the wider public, as well as to students interested in Jewish history and
literature, by producing this fluent and readable translation.”
— Nicholas de Lange, University of Cambridge
“ Steven Bowman has given us a readable and erudite annotated translation of the
tenth- century Hebrew classic, Sepher Yosippon. Popular among Jews all over the
world into the nineteenth century, Sepher Yosippon relates a consecutive narra-
tive of Jewish history in the Persian and Greco- Roman periods, especially the
Great Jewish Revolt against Rome. Bowman traces the variety of classical and
early medieval sources; versions of the first- century Jewish historian, Josephus
Flavius, and the Latin Apocrypha; and the ambiance of Byzantine Southern
Italy, where this pseudonymous work was composed. It is a welcome contribu-
tion to our knowledge of this foundational text of Jewish historiography.”
— Rivkah Fishman- Duker, lecturer emerita, Rothberg International
School, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Sepher Yosippon
Raphael Patai Series in Jewish Folklore and Anthropology
General Editor
Dan Ben- Amos
University of Pennsylvania
SEPHER YOSIPPON
A Tenth- Century History
of Ancient Israel
Translated and Introduced by
Steven Bowman
Wayne State University Press
Detroit
Copyright © 2023 by Wayne State University Press, Detroit, Michigan, 48201.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced without formal permission.
Manufactured in the United States of America.
ISBN 978- 0-8 143- 4943- 4 (paperback)
ISBN 978- 0-8 143- 4944- 1 (case)
ISBN 978- 0-8 143- 4945- 8 (e-book)
Library of Congress Cataloging Number: 2021951020
Published with support from the fund for the Raphael Patai Series in Jewish Folklore and
Anthropology.
Volume 1 of The Josippon [Josephus Gorionides], edited with introduction, commentary, and
notes, 2 vols. (Jerusalem: Bialik Institute, 1980– 81), by David Flusser. First published in
Hebrew by the Bialik Institute, Jerusalem. English translation published by arrangement with
The Bialik Institute.
On cover: Page from Leiden 1 Maccabees manuscript / Codex PER F 17. Wikimedia
Commons. Cover design by Genna Blackburn.
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CONTENTS
Acknowledgments • ix
Introduction: Sepher Yosippon: An Orphan Classic • xi
Flusser’s Historiographical Research • xix
Sepher Yosippon
1. Table of Nations • 3 18. Death of Antiochus the
2. Antiquities of Italia • 7 Wicked and the Dedication
3. Conquest of Babylon • 15 of the House of God • 81
4. Daniel in the Lion’s Den • 19 19. Yehudah’s Wars • 83
5. Daniel, Bel, and the 20. The War with Lysias • 85
Dragon • 25 21. The Judaean- Roman
6. The Story of Zerubavel • 29 Covenant • 87
7. The Sacred Fire • 37 22. Yehudah’s Wars • 91
8. Death of Cyrus • 41 23. Antiochus Eupator’s
9. Gesta Mordecai and Esther • 45 War • 95
10. Alexander in Jerusalem • 51 24. Nicanor’s War • 97
11. Gesta Heliodorus 25. Yehudah’s Death • 101
(Eliodorus) • 57 26. The Days of Yonathan
12. Translation of the and Shimon • 103
Septuagint • 61 27. Orkanus (Hyrcanus) and
13. The Decrees of Antiochus • 63 Talmi (Ptolemy) • 105
14. Death of Elazar • 65 28. Hyrcanus and
15. Death of the Mother and Antiochus Pius • 109
Her Seven Sons • 67 29. Hyrcanus’s Wars • 113
16. The Times of Mattathias 30. Hyrcanus and the Pharisees
(Matityahu ben Yoḥanan) (Perushim) • 117
the Priest • 73 31. The Days of Aristobulus
17. Early Days of Yehudah the First • 121
(Judah) the Maccabee • 77 32. Alexander Yannai’s Wars • 125
vi Contents
33. Alexander and the 61. The Bandits Take Control
Pharisees • 129 of Jerusalem • 265
34. Queen Alexandra’s Days • 133 62. Death of Shimon of Sitopoli
35. Civil War between Hyrcanus (Scythopolis) • 267
and Aristobulus • 137 63. Cestius’s War • 271
36. Roman Intervention and 64. Vespasian Is Sent to Fight
Pompey’s Siege of against the Jews • 273
Jerusalem • 143 65. Josephus’s Campaigns
37. Roman Civil Wars • 151 in Galilee • 277
38. The Story of Julius Caesar • 157 66. Battle of Yodphat • 283
67. Joseph Saves His Life • 289
39. Erodes (Herod) before
68. Battles in the Galilee • 297
the Sanhedrin • 161
69. Internal Battles within
40. The Roman Leaders’ Affection
Jerusalem • 301
for the People of Judaea • 165
70. Vespasian’s Enthronement • 305
41. Deaths of Julius Caesar
71. The Beginning of
and Antipater • 169
Shimon’s Deeds • 307
42. Anthony’s Days • 171
72. Fighting between the
43. The War with Antigonus • 175
Bandits • 311
44. Hyrcanus’s Death • 185
73. Joseph’s Lamentation over
45. Aristobulus’s Death • 189
Jerusalem • 315
46. War with the Aravim
74. Beginning of Titus’s War
(Arabs) • 193
against Jerusalem • 319
47. Herod after the Downfall
75. Fighting Within and
of Antonius • 199
Without • 323
48. Mariamme’s Demise • 203
76. Joseph’s Words on
49. King Herod’s Greatness • 207
Jerusalem • 327
50. Herod’s Construction • 211
77. The War on the Wall • 329
51. Herod’s Sons • 217
78. Joseph’s Speech to the
52. Death of Herod’s Sons • 223
People of Jerusalem • 333
53. The Wicked Antipater • 227 79. Tale of the Makedonian
54. Downfall of the Wicked Lad • 343
Antipater • 231 80. Siege of Jerusalem • 347
55. Herod’s Death • 239 81. Death of Amitai • 351
56. Days of Archelaus • 243 82. The Battles of Jerusalem
57. Paulina’s Affair • 247 Continue • 357
58. Decrees of Gaius • 251 83. The Battle in the
59. Beginning of the Rebellion Azarah • 363
against the Romans • 253 84. The Battle within
60. Agripas’s Speech • 257 the City • 367
Contents vii
85. Battle of the Fortress • 371 88. End of the Battle of
86. A Mother’s Cruel Act • 375 Jerusalem • 383
87. Burning of the Temple • 379 89. Battle of Masada • 387
Appendix
1. Titus • 393
Additions to Yosippon
1. Philo the Alexandrian • 399 5. Origin of Christianity and
2. On Josephus • 401 the Story of Shoshana
3. Death of Kleopatra • 405 (Susanna) • 409
4. A Sleazy Affair in the
Days of Tiberius • 407
Selections from the Normative Version of Yosippon
1. Beginning of the Siege 3. Acts of Bravery of
of Yodphat: The Roman the Jews • 433
Iron Ram • 419 4. An Incident between
2. Crowning of Vespasian Yoseph ben Gurion
and Death of Agripas • 423 and the Bandits • 439
Gesta Alexandros
Translator’s Note • 447 8. Sages of Hodu • 473
1. Death of Philipos • 453 9. Marvels of Hodu • 475
2. Beginning of His Wars • 455 10. Alexandros chez Kandaki
3. War with Darius • 457 the Queen • 479
4. Alexandros in Yavan and 11. Alexandros’s Journeys
in Other Places • 459 of Marvel • 485
5. Alexandros Spies 12. Death of Alexandros • 489
Out Darius and 13. From Alexandros to
Darius’s Death • 461 Augustos • 491
6. Alexandros’s Travels in the 14. Fragment from a Treatise
Lands of Marvels • 465 on Hodu and a Passage
7. The War with Poros • 471 from the Talmud • 499
Select Bibliography • 501
Sources Index • 503
General Index • 513