The Jewish Historian Flavius Josephus: A Biographical Investigation

that [where] discrepancies [arise] the Antiquities is actually most often granted preference. Of
course it appeared as the more comprehensive and therefore probably also as the more
accurate apographon of the common source. In contrast, we shall have to demonstrate that this
notion is fundamentally wrong, and that, with the exception of the additions from
secondary sources that can easily be distinguished, the Antiquities is nothing
but a tendentious ‘correction’ of the facts that were transmitted in the War.
[134] As a matter of fact, the Antiquities and the War are related to each other exactly as are
the War and the administrative report, or Life and War respectively: The existing factual
material is reinterpreted in accordance with Josephus’ new view. According to this, the
Antiquities – wherever the secondary sources do not provide u s with new
material – has to be completely ruled out as a historical source in comparison
to the War. The critical foundation for the historical presentation is thrown into a muddle by
this new discovery, thereby clearing the path for a new and more accurate conception of the
history of the Herodians. 49
1. The first agreement between Hyrcanus and Aristobulus
War 1.121/2 = Ant. 14.6/7
When Hyrcanus and Aristobulus had fallen into a dispute after Alexandra’s death (67
BCE), they eventually come to an agreement that the younger Aristobulus should assume the
kingship in the place of Hyrcanus. Even though War 121/2 corresponds to Ant. 6/7, both
sources diverge in the formulation of details [Einzelformulierung]: according to the War,
Hyrcanus does indeed lose the kingship, but was to “enjoy the other honours as the king’s
brother”. We can learn how much this signifies from Polybius 30.2.4. according to which the
entire difference between the king and the king’s brother is that the latter does not wear a
diadem and does not bear the title of king; but otherwise his position of power is identical to
that of the king. This sentence, which was first stated for [the case of] Pergamon applies, in its
49
Proceding from the realization that only the exhaustive treatment of a text from all aspects
grants us a real insight into the sources available [Quellenlage] to the author and his method of
working, I [shall] provide an extensive analysis [Zergliederung] of the 14 th book, however, I am
restricting myself to this so that the scope of my research does not become excessive. By the
way, the results can be easily applied to the other books.
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