Flavius Josephus' contributions for the reconstruction of the everyday life in the 1st Century Palestine

• Grant number: 10/10811-8
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: September 01, 2010
• End date: August 31, 2012
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - History - Ancient and Medieval History
• Principal Investigator: Ivan Esperança Rocha
• Grantee: Ivan Esperança Rocha
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências e Letras (FCL-ASSIS). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Assis. Assis , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Flavius Josephus' works (ca. 37-100 A.D.) constitute one of the main sources for the knowledge of the social, political and mental structures of 1st Century Palestine. Among them stands out Jewish War, considered more important extrabiblical writing of the period, because it enlarges and enriches information documented in the New Testament. In Jewish War, Josephus describe, in details, the Roman intervention in Palestine to suppress a widespread revolt played by Jewish groups, between 66 and 73 B.C., and that culminated in the destruction of the city of Jerusalem and its temple, the principal symbol of the Judaism, provoking a wide diaspora movement among the Jews. In spite of being considered a controversial author, with a work that demands numeric-chronological revisions and precautions about very tendentious informations with a fact and fiction mix, he is an important testimony of his time. This project intends to evaluate critically the Flavius Josephus' contribution for a better understanding of the social, political and mental structures of the 1st Century Palestine, locus in which Christianity appears and from which it was diffused. The analysis will consider familiar, civil, military and religious institutions. (AU)