He concluded that a person who wanted to know certain aspects of prophecy should be diligent in reading the book of daniel, which he will find among the sacred. This is being done to promote a modern system of bible interpretation. In other words, josephus had access to the book of daniel in addition to other apparent writings ascribed to daniel. First, in regard to the book of daniel, josephus expressed the thencommon jewish belief that daniel was a prophetic book that belonged among the scriptures or sacred writings. Josephus s against apion is a twovolume defence of judaism as classical religion and philosophy, stressing its antiquity, as opposed to what josephus claimed was the relatively more recent tradition of the greeks. Josephus also tells us that when alexander the great, who is foretold in daniel s prophecies dan. But now nebuchadnezzar, king of babylon, took some of the most noble of the jews that were children, and the kinsmen of zedekiah their king, such as were remarkable for the beauty of their bodies, and the comeliness of their countenances, and delivered them into the hands of tutors, and to the improvement to be made by them. Josephus, being a classical historian, need not subscribe to the school of naturalists.
Flavius josephus was a famous jewish historian, priest, and scholar. That daniel was made one of these eunuchs of which isaiah prophesied, isaiah 39. Now, after this, when a famine had invaded the land of canaan, and abram had discovered that the egyptians were in a flourishing condition, he was disposed to go down to them, both to partake of the plenty they enjoyed, and to become an auditor of their priests, and to know what they said concerning the gods. What is the best works and edition of josephus to read. The book of daniel, typological exegesis, jubilee, jewish interpretation, josephus, i enoch. Jul 17, 2017 tremendous confusion has been produced by modern christians who refuse to acknowledge the fulfillment of daniel s prophecy 408 years after it was made. Antiquities of the jews librivox recording, public domain by josephus flavius 37100 ad. Why did alexander the great like the book of daniel. Complete and unabridged, new updated edition josephus, flavius, whiston, william on. This abridged version gets right to the heart of what you are looking for. Josephus on alexander the great and the book of daniel. Alexander reads about himself in the book of daniel united.
The works of the jewish writer flavius josephus represent one of the most important records of judaism and the jews that survive from the ancient world. Josephus on alexander the great and the book of daniel for his. Persians by a king of the greeks daniel book of daniel closely follows josephus. Josephus reports that at this time, nebuchadnezzar occupied all syria, with the exception of judaea, as far as pelusium on the egyptian border 5. Pdf josephus, daniel, and the flavian house steve mason. His major books are history of the jewish war 7579, the antiquities of the jews 93, and against apion. Josephus believes the little horn of daniel 8 who was to make war on the jewish nation was antiochus epiphanes antiquities book 10. The following is from antiquities of the jews, by flavius josephus, book 10, chapter 11. This book is worth the price for the story of the fall of jerusalem alone.
Chapter 10 the works of flavius josephus bible study tools. The book of daniel agrees that nebuchadnezzar did not occupy judah in 605. A story from josephus s writings confirms that daniel s prophecies were received centuries before alexander the great conquered the world. One argument is that alexander is shown a book that was not yet written. This date is very difficult to reconcile with the actual historical evidence. But before we look at josephus we need to look at a couple of other old friends, namely aristotle and isaac newton. Nov 26, 2010 josephus on alexander the great and the book of daniel by jmh on november 26, 2010 in bible and theology, history a good deal of biblical scholarship on the book of daniel assumes that daniel 712 was written after 165 b. A brief look at whether or not josephus considered daniel and his companions to have been castrated. The historian josephus makes no mention of the hebrew and aramaic chiasms, but he provides an overview of the events of the books of. The influence of josephus daniels may still be seen today. According to josephus, the jews recognized 22 books as the scriptures of the jewish bible.
The book of daniel is a very important one, and it has therefore been the object of special attack by satan in the same way that the book of isaiah has been. Flavius josephus complete works and writings bible study tools. Audio book 024 daniel explained note on josephus the. Josephus daniels was born on may 18, 1862 in washington, north carolina, usa. Josephus and the old testament scriptures of the jewish. He excelled in his studies of jewish law and studied with the sadducees, pharisees, and the essenes, eventually aligning himself with the pharisees. So the king bid them delay the slaughter of the magicians, till he knew what daniels promise would. Flavius josephus, jewish priest, scholar, and historian who wrote valuable works on the jewish revolt of 6670 and on earlier jewish history. And in fact the book of revelation is largely a christian interpretation of the.
Prophet daniel antiquities of the jews josephus flavius. He was actively involved in the jewish war with the romans that climaxed in the destruction of jerusalem in 70 ce. Jan 19, 2019 audio book 024 daniel explained note on josephus the book of daniel in preterist perspective jcr4runner. Alexander reads about himself in the book of daniel. We see that around 100 ad josephus plainly states the contents of the old testament was written between the time of moses and the days of artaxerxes i king of persia from 465 to 424 bc. Maier does not leave out any pertinent information and where something has been omitted he informs the reader. That is, josephus mentions the events from chapters 16 in detail with editorial commentary but mentions only partial details from chapter 8, 9, 11, 12 with editorial commentary. To further unlock the book of daniel involves a look again at our good friend josephus. Library the father william most theological collection. Jan 31, 2005 a story from josephuss writings confirms that daniels prophecies were received centuries before alexander the great conquered the world. As to this intended work of josephus concerning the reasons of many of the jewish laws, and what philosophical or allegorical sense they would bear, the loss of which work is by some of the learned not much regretted, i am inclinable, in part, to fabriciuss opinion, ap. The book of daniel is the apocalyptic book of the hebrew bible. This site is dedicated to the works of the jewish historian flavius josephus 37 ce circa 100 ce for centuries josephus works were more widely read in europe than any book other than the bible.
Nov 26, 2010 josephus on alexander the great and the book of daniel a good deal of biblical scholarship on the book of daniel assumes that daniel 712 was written after 165 b. The civil war was in full fury, and the town of washington changed hands several times. On doing history with scripture article pdf available in hts teologiese studies theological studies 711 march 2015 with 7,029 reads. Flavius josephus jewish priest, scholar, and historian. The jewish antiquities, his largest historical enterprise, is an account in twenty books of jewish history from the creation to the outbreak of the jewish revolt against rome in ad 66. Although alexander the great conquered syria, lebanon, egypt and surrounding countries, modern historians have little to say of him. Josephus, wars, book 6, chapter 5, section 3 the preterist. A good deal of biblical scholarship on the book of daniel assumes that daniel 7 12 was written after 165 b. The book of daniel biblical hermeneutics stack exchange. Josephus on alexander the great and the book of daniel for. Josephus explains the fulfillment of abomination of desolation. Josephus daniels may 18, 1862 january 15, 1948 was an american newspaper editor and publisher from the 1880s until his death. It was inserted into josephus book by a later christian copyist, probably in the third or fourth century.
He died on january 15, 1948 in raleigh, north carolina. Pdf josephus and castration in daniel shawn c madden. Josephus believed that the book of daniel was shown to alexander the great, when he came to jerusalem in 330 bc. Flavius josephus 37100 ce was a 1stcentury jewish army captain and later became an author. A democrat, he was appointed by united states president woodrow wilson to serve as secretary of the navy during world war i. A story from josephuss writings confirms that daniels prophecies were received centuries before alexander the great conquered the world. The jewish historian josephus was thirty to sixty years off in his dating of events in persian. Chapter 8 the works of flavius josephus bible study tools. Accordingly arioch informed the king of what daniel desired. Josephus daniels father, also named josephus, was a shipbuilder for the confederacy and was killed before his son reached three years. Daniels was born in washington, north carolina on may 18, 1862. His complete writings, books, and antiquities were translated by william whiston. The book of daniel, particularly, is the subject of many such sensational writers on prophecy. Second, josephus placed this event in 332 bc, so josephus believed that the book of daniel had been written by then.