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Jerusalem’s Traitor

Josephus, Masada, and the Fall of Judea

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About this listen

When the Jews revolted against Rome in 66 CE, Josephus, a Jerusalem aristocrat, was made a general in his nation’s army. Captured by the Romans, he saved his skin by finding favor with the emperor Vespasian. He then served as an adviser to the Roman legions, running a network of spies inside Jerusalem, in the belief that the Jews’ only hope of survival lay in surrender to Rome.

As a Jewish eyewitness who was given access to Vespasian’s campaign notebooks, Josephus is our only source of information for the war of extermination that ended in the destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple, and the amazing times in which he lived. He is of vital importance for anyone interested in the Middle East, Jewish history, and the early history of Christianity.

©2009 Desmond Seward (P)2014 Audible Inc. Ancient Israel & Palestine Middle East Rome Survival War
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It has been an interesting summary of Josephus' life and works, but as an Amazon reviewer has listed in some detail, there are inexplicable factual issues that let it down.

I haven't checked those myself, but I have come across this one, in reference to King Agrippa, there is a correct background comment that he was not Jewish, but Idumean and as then claimed that he was a descendant of "Ishmael". Easy to check and not at all correct. The Edomites were descendants of Esau.

So check

Interesting, but watch the supporting details

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What did you like best about Jerusalem's Traitor? What did you like least?

The content and arrangement of the book are good. The author knows the subject and has tried to present information in an accessible way. I have valued the contextual information provided about Josephus' life and times. It is the actual audio presentation that makes this a poor experience.

What didn’t you like about Stephen Hoye’s performance?

I think Stephen Hoye must have been very bored while reading this book. His delivery was like a pastiche of the Reverend Timothy "Tim" Lovejoy from the Simpson's. "Dreary" is the word that comes to mind.

Was Jerusalem's Traitor worth the listening time?

Possibly not.

A fairly good book turned into painful listening

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I got this book in order to have a factual digest of Josephus' writings, particularly re. the fall of Jerusalem. Instead I got an outline overshadowed by an extensive commentary which seems completely biased in the manner of Josephus' contemporary Jewish detractors. So much so, that I wonder whether the man imbibed his opinions from a Jewish rabbi nursing the grudges of the past. It has the hallmarks of a religious polemic of extreme bias.

A Biased Rant

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