The Image of the Jew in Flavius Josephus' Paraphrase of the Bible

Abstract

The Image of in Flavius Josephus' Paraphrase of Bible, by Paul Spilsbury. TSAJ 69. Tubingen: Mohr-Siebeck, 1998. Pp. xiv + 286. DM 148.00. This valuable monograph is a revision and expansion of a doctoral dissertation completed under supervision of William Horbury at University of Cambridge in 1994. Drawing Antiquities 1-11 to explore Josephus's construction of ideal Spilsbury provides important insights for study of late first century CE and Josephus. In a lengthy introduction (pp. 1-50) Spilsbury engages with contemporary scholarship a number of important subjects and outlines approach adopted in work. The reader is briefly introduced to Josephus, whom Spilsbury labels a Roman Jew (p. 7), and to issue of self-definition a real concern of post-70 C.E. era. While acknowledging need for proper caution in analysis of Josephus's writings regarding his own career, Spilsbury urges reader to ensure that all interpretations are based on content of he wrote taken a (p. 7). In such a context Spilsbury presents Josephus in a somewhat positive light a personally concerned to defend his people and make their customs as a whole intelligible to Greco-Roman world (p. 11) in his selective paraphrase of Bible. Next Spilsbury seeks to clarify manner in which his monograph stands apart from textual comparative work of such scholars T. W. Franxman and C. Begg and portrait studies of L. Feldman. Spilsbury points out difficulty in establishing written and oral materials Josephus drew upon. His work is primarily concerned with constructing an overall picture of ideal from entire biblical paraphrase. Here again, Spilsbury presents an important contribution to interpretation of Josephus: he did not only write what his audience wanted to hear (p. 34); he had his own views it meant to be a Jew (p. 34). In order not to impose categories onto biblical paraphrase, Spilsbury adopts a chronological approach. The net effect is production of a cumulative portrait, noting repetitions, developments, and refinements in image of contained in Antiquities 1-11. Yet even with this approach Spilsbury makes choices regarding to examine, with focus being placed the principal characters, main events and speeches (p. 35). There is a useful brief excursus in introduction Josephus's use of Jew, Hebrew, and Israelites (pp. 36-42). A second excursus Jewish Identity in Diaspora-Some Perspectives from Social Sciences (pp. 42-50) is used by Spilsbury to identify appropriate terminology by which to describe Josephus's Jew. Spilsbury signals that terms assimilation, acculturation, and accommodation- defined by J. M. G. Barclay (Jews in Mediterranean Diaspora, 1996) will be framework within which Josephus's image of will be placed. Chapter 1 (The Patriarchs) covers Antiquities 1-2.200. Spilsbury examines accounts of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Reuben, Judah, and Joseph. …