Antiquities of the Jews
Public-domain ebook
Antiquities of the Jews
Language: en11,933 downloads on Project Gutenberg
Subjects
In: Judaism·History - Ancient·History - Religious
Public-domain ebook sourced from Project Gutenberg #2848.
About this book
Flavius Josephus’s Antiquities of the Jews is a sweeping historical chronicle that begins by tracing the life of Abram, the patriarch later known as Abraham. The opening chapters recount Abram’s departure from Chaldea at seventy‑five, his theological convictions about a single creator, and his migration to Canaan. Josephus weaves together biblical narrative, contemporary historiography, and local lore, citing sources such as Berosus, Hecatseus, and Nicolaus of Damascus to situate Abram within a broader Mesopotamian context. The text proceeds to describe Abram’s sojourn in Egypt during a famine, his strategic deception regarding his wife Sarai, and his diplomatic encounters with Egyptian priests, all framed as demonstrations of his sagacity and divine favor.
The work reflects the literary style of a second‑century Roman‑educated Jew, combining formal, almost rhetorical prose with frequent asides to earlier historians. Its tone is both didactic and celebratory, aiming to legitimize Jewish tradition for a Greco‑Roman audience. Readers who relish dense historical synthesis, classical references, and a measured, scholarly voice will find Josephus’s account rewarding, especially those interested in the intersection of biblical narrative and ancient historiography.
Who appears in Antiquities of the Jews
- AbramElderly Near Eastern man, long dark beard, curled hair, wearing a flowing robe and headcloth
- SaraiMiddle‑aged woman with dark hair braided, modest linen dress, simple veil, serene expression
- LotYoung Near Eastern male, short hair, clean‑shaven, light tunic, confident posture
The opening · free to read
CHAPTER 4. Concerning The Tower Of Babylon, And The Confusion Of Tongues.
CHAPTER 5. After What Manner The Posterity Of Noah Sent Out Colonies, And Inhabited The Whole Earth.
CHAPTER 6. How Every Nation Was Denominated From Their First Inhabitants.
CHAPTER 7. How Abram Our Forefather Went Out Of The Land Of The Chaldeans, And Lived In The Land Then Called Canaan But Now Judea.
CHAPTER 8. That When There Was A Famine In Canaan, Abram Went Thence Into Egypt; And After He Had Continued There A While He Returned Back Again.
CHAPTER 9. The Destruction Of The Sodomites By The Assyrian War.
CHAPTER 10. How Abram Fought With The Assyrians, And Overcame Them, And Saved The Sodomite Prisoners, And Took From The Assyrians The Prey They Had Gotten.
CHAPTER 11. How God Overthrew The Nation Of The Sodomites, Out Of His Wrath Against Them For Their Sins.
CHAPTER 12. Concerning Abimelech; And Concerning Ismael The Son Of Abraham; And Concerning The Arabians, Who Were His Posterity.
CHAPTER 13. Concerning Isaac The Legitimate Son Of Abraham.
CHAPTER 14. Concerning Sarah Abraham's Wife; And How She Ended Her Days.
CHAPTER 15. How The Nation Of The Troglodytes Were Derived From Abraham By Keturah.
CHAPTER 16. How Isaac Took Rebeka To Wife.
CHAPTER 17. Concerning The Death Of Abraham.
CHAPTER 18. Concerning The Sons Of Isaac, Esau And Jacob; Of Their Nativity And Education.
CHAPTER 19. Concerning Jacob's Flight Into Mesopotamia, By Reason Of The Fear He Was In Of His Brother.
CHAPTER 20. Concerning The Meeting Of Jacob And Esau.
CHAPTER 21. Concerning The Violation Of Dina's Chastity.
CHAPTER 22. How Isaac Died, And Was Buried In Hebron.
CHAPTER 2. How Joseph, The Youngest Of Jacob's Sons, Was Envied By His Brethren, When Certain Dreams Had Foreshown His Future Happiness.
CHAPTER 3. How Joseph Was Thus Sold By His Brethren Into Egypt, By Reason Of Their Hatred To Him; And How He There Grew Famous And Illustrious And Had His Brethren Under His Power.
CHAPTER 4. Concerning The Signal Chastity Of Joseph.
CHAPTER 5. What Things Befell Joseph In Prison.
CHAPTER 6. How Joseph When He Was Become Famous In Egypt, Had His Brethren In Subjection.
CHAPTER 7. The Removal Of Joseph's Father With All His Family, To Him, On Account Of The Famine.
CHAPTER 8. Of The Death Of Jacob And Joseph.
CHAPTER 9. Concerning The Afflictions That Befell The Hebrews In Egypt, During Four Hundred Years. [16]
CHAPTER 10. How Moses Made War With The Ethiopians.
CHAPTER 11. How Moses Fled Out Of Egypt Into Midian.
CHAPTER 12. Concerning The Burning Bush And The Rod Of Moses.
CHAPTER 13. How Moses And Aaron Returned Into Egypt To Pharaoh.
CHAPTER 14. Concerning The Ten Plagues Which Came Upon The Egyptians.
CHAPTER 15. How The Hebrews Under The Conduct Of Moses Left Egypt.
CHAPTER 16. How The Sea Was Divided Asunder For The Hebrews, When They Were Pursued By The Egyptians, And So Gave Them An Opportunity Of Escaping From Them.
CHAPTER 1. How Moses When He Had Brought The People Out Of Egypt Led Them To Mount Sinai; But Not Till They Had Suffered Much In Their Journey.
CHAPTER 2. How The Amalekites And The Neighbouring Nations, Made War With The Hebrews And Were Beaten And Lost A Great Part Of Their Army.
CHAPTER 3. That Moses Kindly Received-His Father-In-Law, Jethro, When He Came To Him To Mount Sinai.
CHAPTER 4. How Raguel Suggested To Moses To Set His People In Order, Under Their Rulers Of Thousands, And Rulers Of Hundreds, Who Lived Without Order Before; And How Moses Complied In All Things With His Father-In-Law's Admonition.
CHAPTER 5. How Moses Ascended Up To Mount Sinai, And Received Laws From God, And Delivered Them To The Hebrews.
CHAPTER 6. Concerning The Tabernacle Which Moses Built In The Wilderness For The Honor Of God And Which Seemed To Be A Temple.
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