Flavius Josephus (AD 37–100) was a first-century Jewish historian, military commander, and eyewitness to the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. His writings are the most important extra-biblical source for understanding the world of the Old and New Testaments — and they are now integrated directly into the whosoeverwill.bible reader.
Josephus was born Joseph ben Mattathias in Jerusalem, of a priestly family. He commanded Jewish forces in Galilee during the revolt against Rome (AD 66–70), was captured by Vespasian, and eventually became an eyewitness to the siege and destruction of Jerusalem under Titus in AD 70. His works were preserved almost entirely by the Christian church, which recognized their immense value for understanding the world of the New Testament.
His two major works — Antiquities of the Jews and The Wars of the Jews — together cover the history of the Jewish people from Creation to the fall of Jerusalem. Antiquities alone spans 20 books, running from Genesis through the reign of Nero. Wars of the Jewsis the most detailed contemporary account of the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple — the event Jesus predicted in Matthew 24, Luke 21, and which forms the immediate historical background of the book of Revelation.
Josephus provides independent historical confirmation of figures mentioned in the New Testament, including John the Baptist, James the brother of Jesus, the high priests Annas and Caiaphas, Herod the Great, Pontius Pilate, and Felix and Festus. His account of the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenes remains the primary historical source for understanding the Jewish sects of Jesus's day.
Josephus commentary is now available inside the whosoeverwill.bible reader. When you open a book of the Bible that Josephus covers — Genesis through Acts — his relevant passage appears in the commentary panel alongside Reinhardt, Chuck Smith, Matthew Henry, and others. Select “Josephus — Antiquities & Wars” from the commentary source picker to read his account alongside the biblical text.
OPEN BIBLE READER →Twenty books covering the history of the Jewish people from Creation to AD 66. The most comprehensive ancient Jewish history in existence. Books 1-11 run parallel to the Old Testament narrative; Books 12-20 cover the intertestamental and New Testament period.
Seven books covering the Jewish revolt against Rome (AD 66-73) and the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. The most important historical background for Matthew 24, Luke 21, and the book of Revelation.
The complete Whiston translation (1737) in a single PDF. Public domain. 876 pages including Antiquities, Wars, Against Apion, and his autobiography.
The Works of Flavius Josephus, translated by William Whiston (1737). Public domain. Hosted online by the University of Chicago and other institutions.
For the Old Testament, Josephus provides parallel accounts of the major narratives — the Flood, the Exodus, the conquest, the kings — often adding historical and geographical detail not found in Scripture. He confirms the biblical timeline and defends the historicity of events that critics have questioned.
For the New Testament, Josephus is indispensable. His descriptions of the temple, the priesthood, the Passover crowds, the Roman governance of Judea, and the Jewish sects give concrete historical flesh to the world Jesus and the apostles inhabited. Reading Paul's letters alongside Josephus's description of first-century synagogue life is a different experience than reading them in isolation.
For biblical prophecy, Josephus's account of the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 is the most important external verification of Jesus's predictive prophecy in the Gospels. His description of the siege, the famine, the collapse of the temple, and the scattering of the people matches the prophetic language of Matthew 24 with remarkable precision — written by a man who had no interest in confirming Christian prophecy.