Whats a difference between:
I dont need a Greek text, aside of that, if I own The Works of Jesephus, is there a point to buy Select Works of Josephus?
Wild Eagle —
The translation of the Loeb editions is (from the bits I've read) better than what you'll find in Whiston's translation. If you're going to actually read Josephus in English, then the Loeb is easier reading (again, for the portions I've actually been able to compare, which isn't many).
However, note, the "Select Works of Josephus" does not include the Antiquities, which is Josephus' major work.
Hope it helps.
Whiston is more often the quote, though maybe 400 years old or so. Thackeray's interesting given his interest in Koine.
I'd wait for an answer on this thread till you have a reply on SWJ: (1) How's it indexed and (2) Does it have any notes. Whiston is indexed Whiston and Loeb both. Whiston includes notes but they're Whiston's comments (ie no cross-refs etc).
I noticed this on the product page...highlighted book sounds interesting...Sanders before Sanders was cool, eh?
I think I'll request it in Suggestions. [Y]
Thank you all for your input. Does anyone else knows the difference between those works?
Rick Brannan gave you the crucial info.
Josephus' longest work is Antiquities of the Jews. It's 20 "books" long. The first half of that is his retelling of the story of the Bible. If you know your Old Testament well, it's a fascinating insight into how a second-temple Jew reads and retells the OT narrative. You'll want to ask questions such as: Why does he choose to tell this part? Why does he omit this part? Why does he invent this conversation? Why does he think his readers need to know this?
Since Josephus has one foot in the Jewish world and one foot in the Greco-Roman world, what he acts as a cultural bridge. That's exactly what we need: someone who intimately understands a first-century Jewish perspective, and seeks to communicate it for a wider (Gentile) audience. Sure, our culture is different from the Greco-Roman one, but he still helps us bridge the gap. (Of course, he does so with his own biases, but discovering his biases is part of the fun.)
The "Select Works" on CP lacks Antiquities. It does have his Wars of the Jews, which is a primary source for our understanding of the AD 70 invasion of Jerusalem and how/why that happened. It's 7 "books" long. The "Select Works" also includes some of his shorter works.
Although I already have (and am reading) Whiston's translation of the more complete The Works of Josephus, I personally bid on the "Select Works" in Community Pricing as well, as I want the Greek text of Wars etc.
(BTW, Whiston's style of English is similar to the King James Version, e.g. conversations contain thee and thou.)
Hope that helps.
Thanks Allen, you talked me into it
Wondering if there is a Loeb version of Antiquities...? And if Logos will release it later...?
Apparently there is (see Amazon listing here) but the copyright date is 1963.
I would like this in Logos.
Wondering if there is a Loeb version of Antiquities...? And if Logos will release it later...? Apparently there is (see Amazon listing here) but the copyright date is 1963. I would like this in Logos.
Me too. Good suggestion. [Y][Y][Y]
