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Historians are most interested in writings dating from the Second Temple period, with the exception of Josephus’s account for what happened during the war with Rome. Marylinne Roberts offers a broad overview of Flavius Josephus’s Antigua Judaeica, his history of Jewish events from 135 BC- AD 200. The book was originally composed in Greek by Josephus himself, and then translated into Latin by Jerome. It is considered to be one of the most important sources for religious Judaism between 135 BC- AD 200 CE. Roberts focuses on how this work shaped both historical understanding and biblical interpretation during this period, especially as given through medieval Christian writings about Jewish culture written around AD 1000 CE. Roberts focuses on three particular areas: (1) the conflict between Judaism and Christianity; (2) the Jewish law and how it was preserved and interpreted by Jews during this period; and (3) the role of Jews in secular society. Roberts argues that during the late antique period, most people saw themselves as religious Christians, but also believed in their Jewish heritage. This created a complex environment for interpretation within which medieval Christian writers such as Peter Abelard and Thomas Aquinas developed their own interpretations of Judaism that fit into this interpretative vision of Judaism. Roberts concludes that the writings of Flavius Josephus had a significant impact on medieval interpretations of Judaism, particularly regarding the view that Jews were monotheists. The main controversy regarding the use of Flavius Josephus’s writings was whether it was acceptable to interpret Jewish sources through Christian theology. “Readings of this kind are not so numerous as those of the Gospels or Acts.… No book has, however, so many points at which it may be falsified as this one, and none is more liable to exaggeration; for the very discrepancies which beset it are often exaggerated into contradictions; and where they really exist, they are frequently expanded into insurmountable impossibilities. ” – James Moffat, Introduction to the New Testament In his introduction to the history of the Jews, Paul Johnson gives a broad overview of Josephus’s writings. In his article, he argues that there are two types of histories found within the book: those from before and during the war with Rome, and those from after. The first part focuses on Jewish beliefs at this time period, while the second part details events during and after the war with Rome. Johnson offers a particular focus on the depiction of Jesus within the war and post-war portions of the book. He argues that the first part of Josephus’s writing portrayed Jews as people who believed in one God, held such notions as free will and punishment, and had their own laws. The second part of his writing contradicts these ideas, portraying Jews as political partisans with no free will, who were held responsible for their actions and punished by an omniscient overseer. cfa1e77820
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