Josephus was reportedly beholden to Vespasian who became his patron after the First Jewish–Roman War when Josephus, as head of Jewish forces in Galilee, surrendering in 67 to Roman forces led by Vespasian.steve43 wrote:How can you verify Josephus?
Josephus IS our only source for much of Jewish history.
And, regarding Jesus as being real. Josephus is verified by the New Testament regarding Jesus, or the other way around.
... if you split up the New Testament into separate books, all five Gospels and most of the letters verify Jesus existed, and so verify Josephus on that point.
There is no concurrent contemporary indication Josephus was an accurate 'historian'.Vespasian decided to keep Josephus as a hostage and interpreter. After Vespasian did become Emperor in 69, he granted Josephus his freedom, at which time Josephus assumed the emperor's family name of Flavius.
Flavius Josephus fully defected to the Roman side and was granted Roman citizenship. He became an advisor and friend of Vespasian's son Titus, serving as his translator when Titus led the Siege of Jerusalem, which resulted—when the Jewish revolt did not surrender—in the city's destruction and the looting and destruction of Herod's Temple (Second Temple).
Josephus recorded Jewish history, with special emphasis on the first century AD and the First Jewish–Roman War, including the Siege of Masada, but the imperial patronage of his work has sometimes caused it to be characterized as pro-Roman propaganda.
It is a long stretch to say Josephus is verified by the NT regarding Jesus: Josephus mentions 19/20 Jesuses in his writings: Antiquities 18 is considered a later Christian interpolation. Antiquities 20 reference to James "brother of Jesus" is as likely or more likely to refer to the Jesus ben Damneus mentioned later in the same passage.
