The Jewish Historian Flavius Josephus: A Biographical Investigation

in the Life that he had presented his work first to the emperors and then to many others, then
the same is to be found in Contra Apionem, as stated above, but instead of the ἄλλοις δὲ πολλοῖς
ἐπέδωκα from the Life Josephus here chooses the critical word ἐπίπρασκον. Therefore Josephus
had published his book himself and had distributed it himself, which one might add to the
examples produced by Birt (Buchwesen page 111 and Rhein. Mus. 72, 1918, page 311) as
particularly conclusive. According to this he had not only idealistic but also the most
enormous business 9 interests in seeing his book survive Justus’ attacks.
It is only from this point of view that we rightly understand why Josephus referred to
the emperor’s desire that people should gather their knowledge of the war exclusively from
Josephus’ books (Life 363). Behind the mask of the critical investigator of history lies hidden
the business-oriented bookseller. And when we consider in addition C. Ap. 1.51: “I have
presented my work first to the emperors and then sold it to many Romans and Jews who had
fought in the war,” then we are amazed to encounter here a recommendation in the most
modern forms of business practice; indeed, Josephus informs us of the names of distinguished
gentlemen who – let us say it quite bluntly – have favoured his business enterprise and are
prepared to recommend it. Nor does Josephus withhold two of Agrippa’s letters of
recommendation (Life 365) from the public, nor information about the imperial
commendation. With this, Josephus emphasizes that among his buyers are to be found men
who “likewise have mastered a Hellenic education” (Contra Apionem 1.51). This καὶ is [22]
significant: the statement was to parry Justus’ claim that only he had written intelligibly for
people who esteemed their education. And the fact that Josephus had consulted with Greeks
during his composition (ibid. 50) is again emphasized only because he hoped by this means to
be able to counter the reproach that his work was stylistically worthless. If the highest and
mightiest authorities have therefore bought Josephus’ work and acclaimed it with enthusiasm,
if those who fought in the war took pleasure in his work, and lastly, if even those with Greek
education advocated it, who would then be so stupid as to buy from Justus’ rival firm, that only
had objectively bad merchandise to offer, as [can be] demonstrated with an example?
This blatant emphasis of a purely business-oriented point of view will certainly be felt
as extremely disconcerting by everyone; nevertheless one should bear in mind that for us the
9 Josephus alludes to the extent of the expenses that he was incurring in War 1.16: κἀγὼ μὲν
ἀναλώμασι καὶ πόνοις μεγίστοις … τὴν μνήμην τῶν κατορθωμάτων ἀνατίθημι.
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