<<"James Josephus is regarded by scholars as the most unreliabe historian of that era. He was related to Caesar and his works given preference.">>>SAM
by Magen Broshi
The Israel Museum, Jerusalem
Our knowledge of the last two centuries of the Second Commonwealth depends very substantially on the writings of Josephus. Matters such as his credibility, accuracy and sources are therefore foremost among the topics which should occupy scholarship.
Archaeological Data
1 It is not exactly clear to which stadium Josephus refers; in his day several standards were in use. See H. Prell, Die Stadienmasse des Klassischen Hochschule Dresden 6 (1956/57) Heft 3, pp. 549-563. If however Grafman's contention is correct that the Herodian foot measured 31 cm, the stadium in this case could well equl 186m (i.e. 600X31cm). See R. Grafman, Herod's Foot and Robinson's Arch, IEJ 20 (1970) pp. 60-66. It would then correspond with the standard Roman stadioum (according to Prell, above, 185.6m), which agrees with our conclusion.
2Y. Yadin, "The Excavations of Masada - 1963/64 Preliminary Report", IEJ 15 (1965), p. 69 and note 45; see also the remarks of M. Avi-Yonah, "The Archaeological Survey of Masada, 1955-1956", IEJ 7 (1957), pp. 52-54.
3From the plan published by the excavators it can be computed that the length of the wall measured some 3500m. See also J. W. Crowfoot et. al., The Buildings at Samaria, London 1942, pp. 39-40 and pl. I.
4 M. Avi-Yonah, Sepher Yerushalaim I, Jerusalem and Tel Aviv 1956, p. 319 (Hebrew).
5 A. Raban has made an extensive survey of Caesarea's harbour. The results, to be published soon in Qadmoniot XIV, 3-4 (1981), confirm the basic description of Josephus.
6 Cf. Avi-Yonah, ibid. (supra, note 2), 99. 51ff.
7 Cf. Yadin, ibid. (supra, note 2), p. 69, note 47.
The most obvious data for examination, it would seem to us, is archaeological material. In many instances, numerous details provided by Josephus can be checked, including architechural data, and their accuracy confirmed. Such precision, where it can be established, is surprising, especially since the information was set down in writing years after Josephus had left Palestine. In addition, it is clear that in some cases he is describing objects that he cannot possibly have seen, let alone measured. Thus he probably never visited Masada or set foot on its summit, so he cannot himself have measured its walls. For sixty years preceding the Great Revolt, the desert fortress was occupied by a Roman garrison and civilians were not normally allowed entry. Even so, he writes in War (VII, 286) that the walls of Masada were seven stadia, i.e., about 1300m. long.1 And so indeed they were.2 Similarly, he describes in War (I, 403) the walls of Samaria-Sebaste, built by Herod, as being twenty stadia long (3720m.). This figure also approximates to their length as unearthed.3
The perimeter of the walls of Jerusalem is said by Josephus (War V, 159) to extend to thirty-three stadia (6138m.), whereas in Avi-Yonah's reckoning they were 5550m. long; but this is a difference of merely 10%.4
Again, the harbour of Caesarea built by Herod has been studied meticulously by A. Raban and he finds that Josephus's account of it is by and large correct.5 At Masada, too, the description of the northern palace (which Josephus calls the western palace, War VII, 286) matches the remains as discovered.6 The same my be said of the width of the wall, eight cubits, which is close to 4 m. (War VII, 286).7 On the other hand, the historian alludes to thirty-seven towers on the walls of Masada (War VII, 287), whereas only twenty-seven were identified during the excavations. Either the excavators were unable to recognize all the towers, or Josephus's work contains a textual error, which may possibly be the fault of a copyist.8
Further perusal of Josephus would undoubtedly reveal additional instances of similar archaeological data.9
Other data
8 Idem, ibid., p. 70.
9 The description of Machaerus (War Vii, 164-189) is quite accurate. Cf. V. Corbo, Liber Annuus 28 (1978), pp. 224-226. There is good reason to believe that this too is based on the commentaries (see below).
10H. St. J. Thackeray (in his translation in the Loeb Library, note b to this passage) is wrong in trying to correct Josephus' figures.
Caesarea
In Josephus's War, much of the data can be proved accurate and much of the rest reliably assumed to be so. They cannot always be ascribed simply to keen observation (cf. Masada) or to an exemplary memory (cf. The dates of minor military events). Thus in regard to geographical data, which can be checked exactly, the distances he gives are very often quite right. Jerusalem is said to lie 150 stadia from Jericho (about 30 km), and Jericho 60 stadia (some 12 km) from the Jordan (War IV, 474).10 The distance between Jerusalem and Herodium is described as 60 stadia (about 12, km, War I, 265); from Jerusalem to Gibeon, 50 stadia (10 km, War II, 516); and to Gibeah of Saul, 30 stadia (about 6 km, War V, 51). All these figures are reasonably accurate.
Another type of data concerning numbers of people cannot readily be verified but seems nevertheless reliable. Josephus' tendency grossly to exaggerate population figures is well known. Thus the inhabitants of Galilee are reckoned at more than three million (War VI, 420). Josephus himself sensed that these numbers were incredible. Yet he outdoes even himself in His estimate, in the last cited passage, that in the census carried out under Cestius celebrants at the Passover sacrifices amounted to more than two million seven hundred thousand. At the same time this very same Josephus also gives modest round numbers likely to be quite correct. His information relating to the defenders of Jerusalem (War V, 248) is an example of such reasonableness, namely that Simon son of Giora led ten thousand warriors and five thousand Idumeans, that John of Gischala commanded six thousand warriors, and that tow thousand for hundred Zealots also joined him, and that the total involved was twenty-three thousand four hundred men. Another seemingly reliable figure is that of the ninety-seven thousand captive taken by the Romans in Jerusalem (War VI, 420). These numbers stand out among inflated figures such as that of the corpses removed through one of the gates during the fifty days between May 1 and June A.D. 20, viz., one hundred and fifteen thousand eight hundred and eighty (War V, 567: dates according to Niese). This precise number may appear credible but is in fact quite impossible.11
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James
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