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Josephus and the New Testament Paperback – Illustrated, November 1, 2002

by Steve Mason (Author)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 34 ratings
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Updated text and new maps bring this standard introduction up to date.

Throughout Christian history, the works of Josephus have been mined for the light they shed on the world of the New Testament. Josephus tells us about the Herodian family, the temple, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the Essenes. He mentions James the brother of Jesus, John the Baptist, and even Jesus himself. In Josephus and the New Testament, an internationally acknowledged authority on Josephus introduces this first-century Jewish historian to readers who want to begin to explore his witness to the environment in which early Judaism and Christianity took shape.
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  1. Print length
    336 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    November 1, 2002
  4. Dimensions
    5.5 x 0.76 x 8.5 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    0801047005
  6. ISBN-13
    978-0801047008
  7. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Steve Mason is professor of history and Canada Research Chair in Greco-Roman Cultural Interaction at York University, Toronto. He is the author of Flavius Josephus on the Pharisees and general editor of the twelve-volume series Flavius Josephus: Translation and Commentary.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Baker Academic; 2nd edition (November 1, 2002)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 336 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0801047005
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0801047008
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.47 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.76 x 8.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 34 ratings

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  1. Steve Mason

    Steve Mason

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    I'm privileged to be a historian of the ancient eastern Mediterranean world, under Roman rule (ca. 200 BCE to 400 CE). After a BA and MA in McMaster University's Religious Studies department, in early Judaism and Christian origins, I continued to a PhD from St Michael's Toronto, with a year each in Jerusalem (Hebrew U) and Tübingen along the way. Three years of the usual job anxiety for humanities PhDs ended with a contract and eventually permanent post at Toronto's York U, in classics-religious studies-humanities, later in the Department of History as a Canada Research Chair in Greco-Roman Cultural Interaction (2003-2011). Then I decided to leave for the UK, home of my second citizenship, then for the Continent, where I've landed at the University of Groningen.

    Although I don't object to the label 'Josephus scholar', being happy to be called a scholar (= 'student') of any kind, the majority of my research time for twenty years+ has been among other ancient texts and material evidence (sites, coins, inscriptions, etc.). I hope that my latest book -- A History of the Jewish War, AD 66-74 -- helps to show this approach to the past. Check it out!

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    Steve Mason

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    Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
34 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Laura Knight-Jadczyk
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent work!
Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2014
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Excellent book that gives a lot of essential background to reading and understanding Josephus and the world in which he wrote. Mason has some theories that are well worth considering especially in view of the works of Dennis R. MacDonald on the text of the New Testament.

The text is clear, well written and understandable even to the non-specialist. Highly recommended!
12 people found this helpful
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Patty
4.0 out of 5 stars Josephus and The Jesus Myth
Reviewed in the United States on September 23, 2017
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I had been weighing out the mythicist position when someone strongly encouraged me to read this book to get an expert opinion for Josephus. I'm very glad I did because it put things in perspective for me. The author was also gracious enough to answer my questions through email correspondence. This combined with some other research I've done, I don't believe the mythicist position is plausible.
7 people found this helpful
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Lane Davey
5.0 out of 5 stars The book you need alongside Josephus
Reviewed in the United States on July 28, 2011
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This is an amazing book. I only wish I would have had it earlier. It sure would have saved me a lot of time. Mainly, it helps put everything in place and time. When studying Josephus, there are no dates and many of the people have the same names which gets very confusing and frustrating after a while, but this book gives you and outline and a guide.
19 people found this helpful
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Thomas H. Lawrence
5.0 out of 5 stars Great help for Christian studies
Reviewed in the United States on July 29, 2017
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A very illuminating discussion of Josephus and how his writing add to the new testament gospels and fills in the blanks of this the period. Somewhat difficult at times, but we'll worth the effort. Highly recommended.
4 people found this helpful
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james
3.0 out of 5 stars i enjoyed this book but it is far too narrow in ...
Reviewed in the United States on February 25, 2015
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Josephus is a tough read and as hard to travel as an ancient road in the Holy Land itself. i enjoyed this book but it is far too narrow in its scope. I was and still am looking for a commentary that covers the whole book of Josephus.

James
8 people found this helpful
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Tim Edwards
5.0 out of 5 stars An important refference
Reviewed in the United States on January 15, 2017
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I got this 2nd. edition for my wife, my personal 1st. edition was getting rather tattered.
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John CO
4.0 out of 5 stars Difficult To Read But Well Worth The Effort
Reviewed in the United States on October 23, 2015
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The content is difficult to drag yourself through unless you are a professor or starving grad student. However, the content is also extremely informative. The research is well done. The author's insights are enlightened.
7 people found this helpful
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ADL
4.0 out of 5 stars A must read
Reviewed in France on March 13, 2021
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I bought it for the chapter about Acts / Josephus. It was excellent.
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ADL
4.0 out of 5 stars A must read
Reviewed in France on March 13, 2021
I bought it for the chapter about Acts / Josephus. It was excellent.
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Fergus
5.0 out of 5 stars This introduction to figures such as Herod The Great and his family and Pontius Pilate included an analysis ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 22, 2017
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Josephus And The New Testament is one of a number of books and articles written by Steve Mason regarding the writings of Flavius Josephus, a 1st century Jewish historian. Professor Doctor Mason, at the time of writing, is the 'Distinguished Professor of Ancient Mediterranean Religions and Cultures' at the University of Groningen in Holland. He continues to edit an international project, anticipated to fill sixteen volumes, entitled Flavius Josephus: Translation and Commentary.
In his book, Josephus And The New Testament, Professor Mason set out to provide an introduction to the life and writings of Flavius Josephus together with presenting insight into Josephus' thinking and the purpose behind the writing of his own works. Mason's intended readership for this book is made up of people who read and have an interest in the New Testament of the Bible. The methodology used by Mason, to which I shall refer later, supported his argument that there is as much to learn about Josephus from the writings within the New Testament as there is to learn about the New Testament from Josephus.
Mason spent the first half of his book introducing the reader to the person and writings of Flavius Josephus, his life, the times in which he lived and for whom he wrote. Mason presented his theory that Josephus wrote with the specific purpose of presenting the Jewish people as an ancient culture whose religion was to be respected and admired. He then set out a number of instances that he had identified when, in particular, certain Christian scholars have 'misused' Josephus by using his work to support their own beliefs. There then followed a general history lesson regarding how ancient texts were created and included an explanation of such things as a scriptorium. Mason also discussed how texts were promulgated and why some, including Josephus' own, survived whilst others did not. The explanation of how ancient texts were copied included the identification of how certain passages could change over the years until ultimately they did not reflect the original words of the author. For some readers, the most contentious element of this is Mason's statement that “it is almost certain that Josephus' paragraph on Jesus has been edited by Christian copyists”. In explaining the foregoing, Mason also introduced the reader to some of the scholarly methods for reading and interpreting ancient writings. These methods include the examination and comparison of the actual text or texts looking for discrepancies or inconsistencies in the grammar, phraseology, expressions and general broad concepts offered by the author which may lead to a questioning of the texts' authenticity or authorship.
In the next chapter, Mason began to introduce the reader to a 'Who's Who in the New Testament World'. This chapter identified a number of key figures from the period who were referred to both in the New Testament and also in Josephus' writings. This introduction to figures such as Herod The Great and his family and Pontius Pilate included an analysis of the manner in which each person was portrayed in the appropriate writings together with a postulation as to each author's intention. Having fully set the scene, Mason then devotes a chapter to a more detailed examination of three key early Christian figures who are mentioned in Josephus' writings, John the Baptist, Jesus (the wise man) and James (the brother of Jesus). Having explored these individuals, Mason spent a further chapter explaining the particular relationship between what is often referred to as Luke – Acts in the New Testament and in Josephus. His examination of the texts led him to conclude that the overall consistency in both themes and vocabulary demonstrate a connection. He went further and concluded that the author of Luke-Acts had some form of access to or knowledge of Josephus. Finally, although having intimated this throughout the book, Mason concluded by stressing the importance of Josephus, whom he described as 'the most significant nonbiblical writer for New Testament interpretation', for New Testament readers and scholars.
Given the title of the book, Josephus And The New Testament, for a reader who is primarily interested in the New Testament, this book would appear, at first, to be slow to start. Mason spent the first half of the book outlining Josephus' writings without making any real reference to the New Testament. The rationale behind the approach he took became clear by the end. It would appear that Mason anticipated that most of his readers would have more of an understanding of the New Testament than of Josephus or his writings. Steve Mason, in carrying out this study, clearly indicated that it was neither full nor comprehensive but was an 'introduction' to the subject and he regarded the fact that the reader may be left with additional questions as a good thing. The book did exactly that. It was written in a style and language that is accessible to a non-academic reader who is merely interested in the subject but, at the same time, it introduced sufficient detail and textual analysis to make it helpful to a more serious scholar. The appropriate use of maps, charts, tables and a family tree also assisted the reader in contextualising the information. Mason's stated aim, that the book should cause the reader to explore more of the subject, was particularly well assisted by the inclusion, at the end of each chapter, of a further reading section which not only listed the books suggested but categorised them into specific, defined subject matters.
Overall, I found this book to be enjoyable, informative, interesting and thought-provoking in equal measure. I believe it fulfills its stated aim and is suitable for both scholar and enthusiastic amateur having the potential to lead either to further study both of Josephus, the New Testament and many other connected subject areas.
7 people found this helpful
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Mr M S Jacobs
4.0 out of 5 stars The quality of the product
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 4, 2019
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I like this book because it gives you a good idea about the life and works of Josehus.
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john dover
5.0 out of 5 stars Dramatic background to the New Testament story revealed
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 5, 2020
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Well-researched insight into a fascinating subject. One might not agree with all Professor Mason's conclusions, but they are certainly thought-provoking.
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Breng
5.0 out of 5 stars Historians unbiased first hand account of bible times
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 17, 2018
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Wanted this as a bible student to find our what Josephus had to say about bible times and the lead up to and the fall of Jerusalem in 70 CE
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