Josephus: A Story about a Historian

The book tells about the famous Jewish historian and political figure of the 1st century AD, Josephus Flavius (Joseph ben Matthias), a witness, active participant, and chronicler of the Jewish War—a grand uprising of the Jews against Roman rule. Much of what we know about the main events of this war, the most tragic in the history of the Jewish people—the destruction of Jerusalem and the burning of the Jerusalem Temple—comes from his writings. But who was their author: a traitor to his people (as he was regarded by the majority of Jews for almost two thousand years), an aide to the Roman Caesars, who received the right to bear their family name—Flavius—and composed his historical works to please them, or a man devoted to the faith of his fathers, struggling throughout his life to defend the interests of his people? What significance do Josephus's testimonies about the person of Jesus Christ have for the apologetics of Christianity, and why were his books translated into many languages (including Old Russian) even in ancient times? Such questions are posed by the author of the book, the well-known Israeli writer, historian, and journalist Peter Lukimson.