A History of the Jewish War

AD 66-74
Erscheinungsjahr 2016
ISBN: 978-0-521-85329-3
Verlag: Cambridge University Press

Buch, Englisch, 735 Seiten, Format (B × H): 188 mm x 262 mm, Gewicht: 1630 g

A conflict that erupted between Roman legions and some Judaeans in late AD 66 had an incalculable impact on Rome's physical appearance and imperial governance; on ancient Jews bereft of their mother-city and temple; and on early Christian fortunes. Historical scholarship and cinema alike tend to see the conflict as the culmination of long Jewish resistance to Roman oppression. In this volume, Steven Mason re-examines the war in all relevant contexts (such as the Parthian dimension, and Judaea's place in Roman Syria) and phases, from the Hasmoneans to the fall of Masada. Mason approaches each topic as a historical investigation, clarifying problems that need to be solved, understanding the available evidence, and considering scenarios that might explain the evidence. The simplest reconstructions make the conflict more humanly intelligible while casting doubt on received knowledge.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Mason, Steve

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Part I. Contexts: 1. A famous and unknown war; 2. Historical evidence: understanding Josephus' Judean War; 3. Parthian saviours, sieges, and morale: ancient warfare in human perspective; Part II. Investigations: 4. Why did they do it? Circumstances, conditions, and 'causes'; 5. Nero's war I: the 'blunder' of Cestius Gallus?; 6. Nero's war II: Flavians in Galilee; 7. Flavian war I: the education of Titus; 8. Flavian war II: coins, councils, and the siege of Jerusalem; 9. Machaerus and Masada: a tale of two fortresses.

Über Autor(innen)

Mason, Steve
Steven Mason is Distinguished Professor of Ancient Mediterranean Religions and Cultures in the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies at the University of Groningen. A former Canada Research Chair (in Greco-Roman Cultural Interaction) at Toronto's York University and Visiting Fellow in Oxford and Berlin, he has published several monographs and scores of essays on Roman Judaea, Josephus, Flavian Rome, Christian origins, and historical method. He edits the multi-volume international project Flavius Josephus: Translation and Commentary.