The Jewish Historian Flavius Josephus: A Biographical Investigation

town, Vespasian gave in to the pleas of the Tiberians; he entered the town where he was
enthusiastically welcomed, he spared the citizens and left the walls standing “for Agrippa’s
sake” τῷ βασιλεῖ χαριζόμενος (War 3.461).
Conversely, the Taricheans are faring very badly. In a bold surprise attack Titus
succeeded in capturing the town, and in so doing performed a deed of arms that even
Suetonius found worthwhile mentioning (Tit. 4). A dreadful bloodbath unleashed by Titus
among the defenders of Tarichea showed everyone how very much the Romans, who had
spared Tiberias, were persecuting the Taricheans with hatred. Even though the reasons are
still unknown to us for the moment, the irrefutable fact still persists that Agrippa and
Titus, for whose eyes the War was intended, were as benevolently disposed
towards the Tiberians, [96] as they were hostilely minded against the
Taricheans. But this became the reason for Josephus to discard from the War
his antagonism towards the Tiberians and his friendship with the Taricheans,
which we encountered in the administrative report. His feelings were supposed to
coincide with those of his patrons, even though the historical truth was to fall apart as a result.
In conclusion, we [shall] clearly compile the emergence of the text here as well.
1. Life 155; 157 (without insertion); 158 - 174: recorded before the War
2. War 2.632 - 645 between 75 and 79.
3. Life 156 and insertion in 157 composed after the year 100 on the occasion of the
formulation of the Life.
Chapter IV. Josephus’ administrative rep ort
The investigations of the preceding chapters have yielded compelling proof that the
main body of Josephus’ present self-portrayal reveals his oldest presentation of the events in
Galilee. It has been solidly established that these parts were written before the War. The
question of sources has been placed on a new basis by this finding; previously the War was
justifiably taken as the starting point because the oldest version was considered to be
[contained] within it, but now the foundation of the Life will be moved into the central point
because this truly gives [us] the oldest report. Admittedly, matters are such that the oldest
86