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The Life of Flavius Josephus By: Flavius Josephus (38?-100?) |
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By Flavius Josephus
Translated by William Whiston 1. The family from which I am derived is not an ignoble one, but hath
descended all along from the priests; and as nobility among several
people is of a different origin, so with us to be of the sacerdotal
dignity, is an indication of the splendor of a family. Now, I am not
only sprung from a sacerdotal family in general, but from the first
of the twenty four [1] courses; and as among us there is not only a
considerable difference between one family of each course and another,
I am of the chief family of that first course also; nay, further, by my
mother I am of the royal blood; for the children of Asamoneus, from whom
that family was derived, had both the office of the high priesthood, and
the dignity of a king, for a long time together. I will accordingly set
down my progenitors in order. My grandfather's father was named Simon,
with the addition of Psellus: he lived at the same time with that son
of Simon the high priest, who first of all the high priests was named
Hyrcanus. This Simon Psellus had nine sons, one of whom was Matthias,
called Ephlias: he married the daughter of Jonathan the high priest,
which Jonathan was the first of the sons of Asamoneus, who was high
priest, and was the brother of Simon the high priest also. This Matthias
had a son called Matthias Curtus, and that in the first year of the
government of Hyrcanus: his son's name was Joseph, born in the ninth
year of the reign of Alexandra: his son Matthias was born in the tenth
year of the reign of Archclaus; as was I born to Matthias in the first
year of the reign of Caius Caesar. I have three sons: Hyrcanus, the
eldest, was born in the fourth year of the reign of Vespasian, as was
Justus born in the seventh, and Agrippa in the ninth. Thus have I set
down the genealogy of my family as I have found it described [2] in the
public records, and so bid adieu to those who calumniate me [as of a
lower original]. 2. Now, my father Matthias was not only eminent on account of his
nobility, but had a higher commendation on account of his righteousness,
and was in great reputation in Jerusalem, the greatest city we have. I
was myself brought up with my brother, whose name was Matthias, for
he was my own brother, by both father and mother; and I made mighty
proficiency in the improvements of my learning, and appeared to have
both a great memory and understanding. Moreover, when I was a child, and
about fourteen years of age, I was commended by all for the love I had
to learning; on which account the high priests and principal men of the
city came then frequently to me together, in order to know my opinion
about the accurate understanding of points of the law. And when I was
about sixteen years old, I had a mind to make trim of the several sects
that were among us. These sects are three: The first is that of the
Pharisees, the second that Sadducees, and the third that of the Essens,
as we have frequently told you; for I thought that by this means I might
choose the best, if I were once acquainted with them all; so I contented
myself with hard fare, and underwent great difficulties, and went
through them all. Nor did I content myself with these trials only; but
when I was informed that one, whose name was Banus, lived in the desert,
and used no other clothing than grew upon trees, and had no other food
than what grew of its own accord, and bathed himself in cold water
frequently, both by night and by day, in order to preserve his chastity,
I imitated him in those things, and continued with him three years.
[3] So when I had accomplished my desires, I returned back to the city,
being now nineteen years old, and began to conduct myself according to
the rules of the sect of the Pharisees, which is of kin to the sect of
the Stoics, as the Greeks call them. 3. But when I was in the twenty sixth year of my age, it happened that
I took a voyage to Rome, and this on the occasion which I shall now
describe... Continue reading book >>
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Biography |
History |
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