Against Apion (Book-I) - Josephus, Flavius

. .

Résumé :
A sharp, enduring reply to slander, and a window into the ancient world that still speaks to us today. Against Apion opens a dialogue across centuries, blending rigorous argument with vivid Greco-Roman rhetoric. This is more than a polemical defence of Israelite heritage...

Biographie:
Flavius Josephus was a Roman-Jewish historian and military officer who lived from around AD 37 to around 100. He was born in Jerusalem, then part of the Roman province of Judea, to a priestly father and a royal mother. He is best known for his novel The Jewish War. He initially fought against the Roman Empire as the general of the Jewish armies in Galilee during the First Jewish-Roman War, until surrendering in 67 AD to the Roman army led by military commander Vespasian following a six-week siege of Yodfat. According to Josephus, the Jewish messianic prophecies that sparked the First Jewish-Roman War mentioned Vespasian becoming Roman emperor. As a result, Vespasian opted to keep Josephus as a slave and interpreter. When Vespasian became Emperor in AD 69, he awarded Josephus his freedom, and he took the Emperor's surname of Flavius. Flavius Josephus surrendered completely to the Romans and was granted Roman citizenship. When Titus led the siege of Jerusalem in 70 AD, he became an advisor and companion of Vespasian's son Titus, working as his translator. After the siege failed to quell the Jewish insurrection, the city was pillaged, and Herod's Temple (the Second Temple) was looted and destroyed....

Sommaire:
it is a braided text of ancient history treatise, classical philology essay, and religious apologetics. Josephus offers jewish history arguments with care, challenging pagan misrepresentations while situating first century ce debates in a Roman Judea context. Readers encounter a lucid, accessible synthesis of critical analysis, persuasive rhetoric, and historical insight that will resonate with both the curious lay reader and the scholarly cohort. Its literary and historical significance endures: a cornerstone for studies in ancient apologetics and worldviews, a masterclass in how to marshal evidence across cultures, and a testament to the craft of argument in a classical framework. For today's audiences, the work reveals how later generations read antiquity, while for collectors it stands as a carefully restored artefact of a long conversation about faith, identity, and empire. Selling points: Out of print for decades and now republished by Alpha Editions. Restored for today's and future generations. More than a reprint - a collector's item and a cultural treasure. Perfect for university course text use, scholarly readership, and anyone drawn to ancient history, Greco-Roman rhetoric, and the art of defending a people's heritage....