The Jewish War

The Jewish Wars, probably written in Aramaic, Josephus' native language, and later translated into Greek for the Roman general and emperor Vespasian, is an indispensable book for understanding the social and political environment of Israel at the time of Christ: the high priesthood that emerged in the years leading up to the coming of Christ and its relationship with the emerging sects in Israel: Pharisees, Sadducees, Zealots; for discerning the complex personality of Herod and his numerous cruelties in relation to significant events recorded in the New Testament, such as the slaughter of the children of Bethlehem recorded in Matthew 2:13-23, although Josephus does not make direct mention of this specific event; and for understanding the role and actions of Pontius Pilate.

It is also the only historical source available to us regarding the siege of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple prophesied by Jesus and the subsequent diaspora of the Jewish people starting in the year 70, something essential for properly understanding the expansion of early Christianity.

Josephus links his chronicle of The Jewish Wars with that of Antiquities, going back to the Maccabean period, and concludes it by narrating the fall of Jerusalem, the subsequent fall of the fortresses of Herodium, Machaerus, and Masada, and the Roman victory celebrations held in Rome. In this way, he covers, between both works, Antiquities and Wars, the complete history of the Jewish people from the creation of the world to the diaspora. And it is especially interesting to observe how, in his view, he does not attribute the responsibility for the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple to a punishment or abandonment by God on the part of the people, but rather to the stubbornness and fanaticism of the leaders and religious figures of the time, Pharisees and Zealots.

The special and particular value of this new edition of The Jewish Wars, as in the case of Antiquities, consists in that, in addition to offering the complete version of the text in an updated Spanish, it includes an introduction by Dr. Alfonso Ropero; a very comprehensive bibliography; and especially, an extensive analytical index of characters, events, and topics, which make it a reference work of the highest level.

It can therefore be said that it is, and by far, the best and most complete Spanish edition of The Jewish Wars currently available on the market.

Pages: 373

Dimensions: 17.7 x 23.4 x 1.8 cm

ISBN: 9788482673431