Jerusalem's Traitor: Josephus, Masada, and the Fall of Judaea
Desmond Seward
When the Jews revolted against the Roman occupation in AD 66, among their generals wasJosephus (Yossef ben Mattityahu ha-Kohen), a nobleman and priest from Jerusalem who had been a favourite of Nero’s wife, Poppaea. Taken prisoner, he saved himself from crucifixion by prophesying that the Roman commander Vespasian would eventually become Emperor, after which he served as an intelligence officer with the Legions, running a network of spies inside Jerusalem - in the belief that the Jews’ sole hope of surival lay in surrender.
An eyewitness who was given access to Vespasian’s campaign diaries, Josephus is our one source of information for a war that ended with the siege and destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple in an earlier holocaust. We only know what the Temple looked like, or about the fall of Masada, from what he tells us. He has also left us an amazingly frank portrait of himself and his colourful, often nightmarish career. He is of vital importance for anyone interested in the Middle East, in Jewish history and in the early history of Christianity
Book Details:
- Author: Desmond Seward
- On Submission
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Rights Sold
- US: Da Capo
- Israel: Kinnaret
- China: Ginkgo
Desmond Seward
Desmond Seward was born in Paris and educated at Ampleforth and St Catharine's College, Cambridge. He is the author of many books including The Monks of War: The Military Religious Orders, The Hundred Years War, The Wars of the Roses, Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry V as Warlord, Josephus, Masada and the Fall of Judaea (da Capo, US, April 2009), Wings over the Desert: in action with an RFC pilot in Palestine 1916-18 (Haynes Military, July 2009) and Old Puglia: A Portrait of South Eastern Italy (Haus August 2009). Forthcoming is The Last White Rose: the Spectre at the Tudor Court 1485-1547 (C...
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Book Reviews
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"'Writing with the flare of a novelist, Seward not only brings Josephus to life, but also crafts a vivid picture of what caused the Jewish revolt of 66, the Roman response, and the ongoing conflict which was to influence Jewish history and culture for generations to follow ... Through Josephus, Seward has provided us with a window through which to view the events of this period and their long term consequence ... Popular history at its best. Seward tells a rousing tale, one that is well researched and insightful, yet without any of the pedantic word play that often turns readers away from history books.'
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History in Review -
"Seward tells the unvarnished truth ... This is first rate history, first rate biography.
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The Advocate (TN) -
"this gripping biography.
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Jerusalem Post -
" Seward’s astute interpretation and vivid re-creation is a popular history imperative."
Booklist