The Jewish Historian Flavius Josephus: A Biographical Investigation

wherever the Tiberians are spoken of by name in the Life, Josephus replaces this expression by
a colourless designation: in 632 he speaks “of the people inside”, in 635 of “the defectors”, in
637 “of the enemies”. In this way it is left unclear who actually is behind the uprising in
Tiberias, and as a result the possibility arises, at least in superficial contemplation, to separate
the uprising in Tiberias from the inhabitants of the town. According to this the councillors of
Tiberias are also understood differently than previously in their relationship to the uprising. In
the Life the councillors are the same [people] who led the mass in the uprising (168 f.), whereas
in the War (638) they are intended as trustworthy people who should apologize for the events
in Tiberias. Briefly summarized: while in the Life the uprising of the Tiberians is
defeated with the help of the Taricheans, in the War Josephus wishes to evoke
the impression that an uprising that arose in Tiberias was quelled by Josephus
and his people from Tarichea. I understand that the picture could not emerge clearly in
the War; but precisely this is the compelling proof that here also the Life is the source of the
War, which brought a new trend into the old stock of facts.
But the Life has undergone subsequent expansions here as well; in section 156 it is
assumed that the fortification of Tiberias was to begin only after the building of Tarichea’s
walls was completed. This part is thereby referring to 143 - 144, which two paragraphs belong
only to the final edition of the Life (cf. page 77 ff.); therefore 156 cannot be older. There is
absolutely no mention of the building of the walls in the corresponding passage of the War
(634); on the other hand, later on in his speech to the Tiberians Josephus refers to how it would
indeed be ungrateful “to shut the gates in front of the one who had erected the walls” (κλείειν
τὴν πόλιν αὐτῷ τῷ τειχίσαντι 638). Thus we still find here the more accurate old view that is
not influenced by the formulation and remodification of the Dabaritta narrative, because it is
only by [93] its remodelling that the idea arose at all that Tiberias would later be fortified (cf.
section 1), while we know by chance from War 3.465 that Josephus fortified Tiberias first, as it
is also understood from War 638. As a result, the stratification [Zergliederung] of the text of the
Dabaritta story undertaken in section 1 acquires renewed confirmation.
On the other hand, it is clearly seen that Josephus could no longer use the idea from
War 2.638 for his Life, because according to this [passage] Tiberias was to be fortified only in the
future (144). As a result of this, he removes the theme of building the walls from the
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