The Jewish War

Judean War was written in the 70s of the first century C.E. and was definitely completed before 79, the date of Vespasian’s death (Life 361). It contains seven books and covers the history of Judea between the 70s of the second century B.C.E. and 74 C.E. Out of seven books, fully five deal with the history of the Great Revolt and its aftermath. As it appears from Josephus’s own statements in this work, as well as in Life of Josephus, the work was supported and approved by Vespasian and Titus themselves. Consequently, in many ways, it is pro-Roman, more specifically pro-Flavian, propaganda. However, it is equally an apologia for the people of Judea, for the Judean God, and for Josephus himself.

Michael Tuval, “The Role of Noah and the Flood in Judean Antiquities and Against Apion by Flavius Josephus,” in Noah and His Book(s), ed. Michael E. Stone, Aryeh Amihay, and Vered Hillel, Early Judaism and Its Literature 28 (Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 2010), 168.