Josephus and Jewish influence

I was told Josephus was important to understanding Jewish interest in the New Testament era. How can I see where Josephus mentions Jewish influence upon early Christianity? Josephus provided a continuity between the Old and New Testaments. In turn this gave readers a link to the ancient Jewish tradition. I am looking to determine and examine Josephus’s reinterpretation of the Jewish past in a Greco-Roman cultural context to better understand the New Testament.

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GregW

NT Wright covers Josephus quite a lot in The New Testament and the People of God - https://www.logos.com/product/8778/the-new-testament-and-the-people-of-god. If you open it and do a search on Josephus you’ll find the relevant passages. That should lead you to other resources (as well as the primary source - Josephus himself). If you do a search on your whole library for Josephus you will also find the places where the resources you have talk about him - New Testament Introductions often have some backgrounfpd and bibliography you can follow up.

I suspect you will also find some good starting points in a good Bible Dictionary, particularly the IVP “black“ dictionaries or AYBD.

Christian Alexander

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1287346#Comment_1287346

Thanks for the reference to NT Wright. He is a wonderful and astute scholar of the New Testament world. I never think to look at secondary sources as a means to find primary sources. I did read the Anchor Bible Dictionary and Lexham Bible Dictionary but they were quite terse and abrupt in their work on Josephus. I guess because it is not a 'biblical' name as their coverage is only in the Bible and similar arenas. My searching only found 32 hits. I assessed all of those but not too much information either. Any further references are appreciated.

DMB

Outside Josephus questionable mention of Jesus/Christians, he appears far more knowledgable about John the Inmerser.

Personally, where Josephus seems on a post-Jewish mission to re-paint relative to Rome, Philo offers a much cleaner series of cultural crossover discussions.

You probably don't have it, but the Jewish Encyclopedia has an extensive discussion on the incursion of of hellenism into Jewish life (or the claimed opposite).

Doc B

My simple advice toward advancing this kind of understanding would look quite a bit like DMB's, but I'd add one resource that I think you'll find helpful- https://www.logos.com/product/39637/jewish-targums-and-johns-logos-theology

This will demonstrate the importance of the Targumic influence on John the Apostle. It is a fantastic addition to Josephus and Philo.

DMB

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1287420#Comment_1287420

https://www.logos.com/product/39637/jewish-targums-and-johns-logos-theology

Absolutely agree

Christian Alexander

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1287415#Comment_1287415

No I do not own the Jewish Encyclopedia. I would like to see some its extensive discussion on the incursion of of hellenism into Jewish life (or the claimed opposite). Can you post a few paragraphs DMB? That would be great. Blessings

Roy

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1287680#Comment_1287680

Christian,

The Jewish Encyclopedia is not overly expensive. https://www.logos.com/product/8537/the-jewish-encyclopedia

AND! if you happen to be subscribed to Faithlife Connect it is in the list of books you can get for free as part of your subscription.

Finally, it is old enough to be in the public domain so a look at archive.org will allow you yo see what is in the books for yourself.

It should go without saying though that the Logos version will be far better than a scanned PDF. Those PDF's do not appear to be searchable.

Christian Alexander

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1287415#Comment_1287415

What of Philo would you suggest me to read on this topic? Philo does seem to be helpful in this area. I read The Essenes – Philo (Quod Omnis Probus Liber Sit)

MJ. Smith

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1287939#Comment_1287939

start with The Works of Philo | Logos Bible Software

DMB

Christian, I couldn't find your Judaism vs Hellenism thread, but the March Publisher Spotlight sale has Hengel's good book cheap. I don't remember if you have it.

https://www.logos.com/product/184992/judaism-and-hellenism-studies-in-their-encounter-in-palestine-during-the-early-hellenistic-period

Christian Alexander

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1288657#Comment_1288657

I bought it in dead tree format 12 days ago. 9.56$ used copy but still have not got it. I might have to return it and get a Logos copy. [:)]