Josephus and the History of the Greco-Roman Period

Josephus and the History of the Greco-Roman Period comprises a series of essays on the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus and on the history of the Second Temple period by many of the best-known specialists in the field. The contributions are revised versions of papers delivered at an international colloquium in memory of Professor Morton Smith that was held at San Miniato, Italy, in November, 1992. The essays cover a broad range of historical and historiographical issues concerning the Seleucid, Hasmonean, Herodian, and Roman periods, for which the importance of Josephus - often our only extant source - can hardly be overestimated. Josephus' trustworthiness as a historian is newly investigated from various angles. Fresh light is thrown on philological, literary, geographical, archaeological, sociological, and religious questions. The book includes a critical evaluation of Morton Smith's scholarly achievement.