Seven books on the Jewish revolt against Rome, from its origins to the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. Josephus fought in the war, surrendered, and wrote the account for a Roman audience. The most important source for first-century Judaea.
Start ReadingBackground: the Maccabean revolt through Herod's reign. Josephus traces the roots of the war to the political instability created by Rome's client-king system.
The deterioration under the procurators. Pontius Pilate, Caligula's insanity, and the escalating provocations that drove Judaea toward revolt.
The outbreak of war in 66 AD. Josephus commands the Jewish forces in Galilee. Vespasian invades. Josephus surrenders at Jotapata after a siege.
The fall of Galilee. Vespasian methodically reduces the region. Jerusalem fills with refugees and factions. Vespasian is proclaimed emperor.
Titus besieges Jerusalem. The three factions inside the city fight each other even as the Romans close in. Famine, murder, and fanaticism.
The fall of Jerusalem. The Temple burns. Josephus's most vivid and most anguished writing — he watched from the Roman lines as his city was destroyed.
The aftermath. Masada holds out. The last defenders kill themselves rather than submit. Josephus reflects on the catastrophe that ended Jewish sovereignty for two millennia.