Peter...Basic question on Josephus:

[Eric]

My studies are on a different plain and I have skimmed through some of the Josephus stuff so my knowledge is no where near interceding on an intelligent conversation on your other thread. And it's actually a few questions I have. The first "set of question". Did not Josephus change his last name and what is a brief sentence for the reason? Does not Josephus mention in his writings other characters that are mentioned in the Canonical NT and/or even characters found in the Nag Hammadi written accounts? And last question? What in your opinion is a good book on Josephus? I would like to find one in audio format so I can listen to it as I work at my job doing commercial carpet cleaning?

Hope you don't mind. Thanks

Eric

[Peter Kirby]

Did not Josephus change his last name and what is a brief sentence for the reason?

He took the name Flavius (personal names come last so that it would have been Flavius Josephus) because of the name of the emperors who sponsored him (after defecting to the Romans in the war - specifically, Titus Flavius).

Roman naming conventions
gens
Flavian dynasty
Josephus
Titus

Does not Josephus mention in his writings other characters that are mentioned in the Canonical NT

Josephus mentions John the Baptist and some of the troublemakers mentioned in Acts (which may have had Josephus for a source). Most people think the reference to John the Baptist in Josephus is authentic (primarily because it makes no connection between John and Jesus).

Josephus also mentions the names of some of the same rulers: high priests, prefects, client kings. This would have been public knowledge, so to speak, in the first century. (And a matter of reading Josephus in the second century.)

and/or even characters found in the Nag Hammadi written accounts?

Not of Peter, Thomas, Mary, Paul, and so on. The possible reference to James in Ant. 20.200 is the subject of the dispute in the mentioned thread here.

And last question? What in your opinion is a good book on Josephus? I would like to find one in audio format so I can listen to it as I work at my job doing commercial carpet cleaning?

Go to librivox and you can listen to Josephus himself:

https://librivox.org/the-antiquities-of ... -josephus/
https://librivox.org/the-wars-of-the-jews-by-josephus/

As a secondary source, this is a really good and approachable text, but has no audiobook:

http://www.amazon.com/Josephus-New-Test ... 0801047005

[stephan happy huller]

But it is worth noting that the Jewish tradition differs from the existing literary tradition insofar as Josephus is identified as Joseph ben Gorion

[Eric]

Thank you Peter. And its digestible! To Stephen, thank you for that note!

[Duvduv]

If you are referring to the person known as Yosifon in Jewish tradition, this person is not Josephus. He was not Yosef ben Matityahu the priest (kohen), but was Yosef the brother of the wealthy Nakdimon, referred to as Nicodemus as identified in the gospel of John.

But it is worth noting that the Jewish tradition differs from the existing literary tradition insofar as Josephus is identified as Joseph ben Gorion

[stephan happy huller]

The Yosippon is attributed to Joseph ben Gorion


http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josippon

[steve43]

The writings of Josephus predate the Talmud by 400 years, so I would not place great weight on them in understanding Josephus. Josephus explains himself very well.

[spin]

The writings of Josephus predate the Talmud by 400 years, so I would not place great weight on them in understanding Josephus. Josephus explains himself very well.

What made you say that here?

[steve43]

The Talmud or any Jewish commentary or writings after the third or fourth century. Someone mentioned the Jewish name for Josephus from a tenth century writing. What's the purpose of that?

And in a broader perspective, josephus should be interpreted in terms of the NT writings or secular Roman historians (which he was, of course) instead of later Jewish works. IMO.

[spin]

The Talmud or any Jewish commentary or writings after the third or fourth century. Someone mentioned the Jewish name for Josephus from a tenth century writing. What's the purpose of that?

And in a broader perspective, josephus should be interpreted in terms of the NT writings or secular Roman historians (which he was, of course) instead of later Jewish works. IMO.

I'm still no wiser as to why you felt you had to say it here. It neither seems to relate to the o.p. nor with anything anyone else said. (I could be wrong.) Is it just a gratuitous factoid? Did someone mention the Talmud above? Are you concerned with the parallel discussion of the Yosippon?