The Antiquities of the Jews: Defending Jewish Ancestry - Essay Sample

Introduction

The Antiquities of the Jews is a book of account of the Jewish leaders by Josephus. Josephus was a Roman Jewish writer with a Jerusalem heritage, a territory referred to Roman Judea. Josephus wrote the Jewish Antiquities is a way of trying to defend the Jewish ancestry that the world has always displayed negatively. The stories revolve around the beginning of the Revolution against Rome around 66AD.

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The chronology of this ancient writing commences with the creation of the world and the circumstances surrounding the establishment. Josephus starts by admitting that God created the universe, which was just but darkness all over. Joseph continued to discuss how God added the earth with every element that is present today up to a point when God created man. The Antiquities indicated that it is Moses who called the day and night as one day. The Antiquities writes that the name Adam means someone red, which suggests that God made Adam from Red Earth. The woman who was Adam's companion was called Issa, in Hebrew.

The second part of the "Antiquities elaborate more about the life of Adam and Eve and their generation. God gave Adam and Issa two sons called Abel and Cain, and Seth later. The writer outlines the genealogy of Adam and Eve, and the accounts of all his descendants discussed. The Antiquities explain in detail the story of Noah and The Ark and how the Ark to help in preserving the generation of Adam and Eve from the Floods.

Nimrod, the son of Noah, plans to build a tower that can reach God so that he can take revenge on God to let flood kill other people. The Jewish Antiquities, aimed at giving the accounts of Great Men of the Jewish heritage who were leaders in Israel and how the determination, the skills, and weakness of these leaders lead to the prosperity of the Jewish descendants.

The Theme of Leadership in The Antiquities by Josephus

The purpose of antiquity was to glorify the Jewish leaders in the Bible and prove to the world that these people were significant during their time. They made substantial transformations in the history of creation, rescue from bondage, and leadership in Israel. The writings describe Moses as a man of noble stature from the Jewish ancestry. With his zeal and leadership skills, he was chosen to lead the Israelites across the Red Sea to Canaan. However, in this ancient writing, the story about the Israelites molding a golden Calf is left out.

The success of Moses in driving the children of Israel out of bondage is glorified. The ancient writing depicts Moses as a legislature who is powerful and insightful. The story about the Jewish is given from Moses' point of view. Moses led the Israelites to the war against the Ethiopians, and they emerged victoriously.

The Jewish Antiquities explore the New Testament version of the Bible by giving accounts of the kings of Israel. In particular, King Herod is explored in detail. Herod was a king for the Romans. The Antiquities depicts King Herod as a significant ruler who built monumental artifacts and large buildings in Judea. He is known for renovating the second temple in Jerusalem and expanding the Temple Mount Northwards. According to Josephus, Herod was a king who was undefeated, who fought fiercely against his enemies to protect the territory and the children of his land.

Josephus describes him as a man with bold physic and strong-willed. "But the chief men of the Jews were therefore in fear because they saw that Herod was a violent and bold man, and very desirous of acting tyrannically." (Josephus 817). According to the Antiquities of Josephus, Herod was an admirable man who was not capable of harming anyone. However, towards the end of his life, King Herod tried to commit suicide. The sickness that was torturing him. He also tries to kill his son, Antipater, because the son wished him dead so that he can take over his reign. Finally, King Herod died a painful death.

King Herod's Leadership and Death Both in The Antiquities and The Holy Bible

The writer, Josephus, is very particular in giving details of the death of King Herod. He describes in detail the circumstances around the death of King Herod from the onset of his ailment to his death. King Herod died from a weird sickness, and death is a painful one. King Herod suffers complex conditions that had painful symptoms. The King developed very itchy skin rashes and ulcers of the intestines. Apart from that, King Herod suffered the Dangerous gangrene of the genitals, a condition that led to his genitals being infested by worms. These conditions worsened his health as he also suffered legs and abdomen phlegmons. All these conditions lead to fever and respiratory oppression, which led to his death.

When the news of his death reached the people, some religious people destroyed a royal Eagle, which was always stationed at Jerusalem temple. King Herod gets the news of what was happening in Jerusalem and ordered his military to assassinate anybody who could be against his rule. Forty men died in the process.

King Herod plans to kill all the family members of the royal family as his sister had put it. When King Herod is about to die, there are uprisings in the territory, and a state of unrest as religious groups protest against his kingship. According to Josephus, King Herod died as a punishment from God for his crimes. At one point, the King contemplated suicide when he painted from the conditions and became too much; however, he was rescued before he would stub his stomach. King Herod son, who was in prison awaiting his execution for attempted parricide, heard about his father's impending death and implored the prisoners to let him go free so that he can take over his father's throne. However, this does not happen as his father kills him first before he dies. After King Herod has killed his son Antipater, he succumbs to his conditions five days later.

King Herod's Leadership and Death Both in The Holy Bible

In contrast to Josephus' account of the rise and fall of King Herod, The Bible takes the King with contempt. The statement of the life of King Herod is portrayed in the New Testament, the book of Matthew 2. According to the scriptures, the thing was a descendant of Esau. It is King Herod who succeeded Julius Caesar, the King of the Jews. In the scriptures, the leadership of King Herod was not sufficiently secure due to various attacks that Jerusalem engaged with other kingdoms. However, in 13 BC, peace emerged in King Herod's territory. King Herod refurbished the Jewish people's temple, as it had been earlier destroyed according to the will of God. (Matthew 22:7).

King Herod was a deplorable leader, according to the New Testament, because he was vicious and never feared God or liked Christians. The King never hesitated to shed blood of innocent civilians if this served him well. The New Testament paints King Herod as an insecure king who always suspected that someone might be eyeing his throne. At a certain point in time, he ordered all male children to be killed. The story is that, during the birth of Jesus, the three Shepherds from the East journeyed to see the baby who was born in a manger.

The shepherds passed through King Herod's territory, and because of these, the King got to know that a king has been born. He, therefore, plotted to assassinate baby Jesus. The story is given in detail about how the parents of the baby had to flee to Egypt for refuge. King Herod is painted as a murderous king who was ready to kill innocent babies to secure his throne; however, his plan was destined to fail (Matthew 2:16).

Apostle Matthew accounts for the death of King Herod. Joseph and Mary get to know that her daughter has died through an angel who appears to Joseph in a dream while in Egypt as refugees. Apostle Matthew record "But when Herod was dead, behold an angel of the Lord appears in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, Arise and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead that sought the young child's life" (Mathew 2:19-20).

How the Ancient Writings and New Testament Passages Relate to And Illuminate Each Other?

The Bible is ancient literature, just as Josephus the Antiquities. However, the Bible was written first before Josephus could write his book. The assumption here then is that Josephus must have borrowed his content from the Holy Bible. The two ancient writings complement each other. Both the Bible and the Antiquities explore the leadership and death of King Herod; however, how the accounts differ. Matthew is the author of the scriptures (Carson, 2017). Due to his Christianity affiliations, the apostle was, therefore, inclined to give an account in favor of his beliefs. Josephus, on the other hand, writes the Antiquities in support of the Jews, and the same could apply. In the Antiquities, Josephus concentrated on the reign of King Herod for 34 years. He glorified him as an apt ruler, Admirable and witty.

According to Josephus, the King was devoted to refurbishing the Jewish temple that had been destroyed in favor of the Christian religion. Josephus is contemptuous about the Christian who kills the eagle at the doors of the temple when King Herod was almost dying. King Herod had erected the eagle as a sign of respect for the time; however, the Christians felt that this was a violation of the laws of God. Josephus indicates that the Christians will have to suffer death for their actions due to their foolishness of following the loss of people long dead.

However, the apostle Matthew depicts King Herod as a malicious King. During his reign, King Herod murdered so many people who endangered his kingship (Jacobson, 2018). When he is about to die, he gets wind that his son wants to take his throne. He kills his son to ensure that he does not sit on his throne after he has died. His son was in prison, where he implored the other prisoners to let him free so that he could go and talk over his father's throne. However, King Herod kills him, and when he dies, his throne is divided amongst his sister and two of his sons. Matthew Writes, "Go and look carefully for the child. When you find him, inform me so that I can go and worship him as well."

The scripture writes about the response of King Herod to the Three Wise Men from the East. He lies to them that he wants to worship the baby when he intended to kill him so that he does not become a king. This part brings out King Herod as wicked. Josephus also, in the Antiquities, portrays King Herod as evil.

Apostle Matthew restrained from describing the death of Herod to the world. The death of Herod was a painful one, and Christian needed to know how this wicked man had died. Most probably, Matthew had hidden his excitement about the death of Herod because Herod had a history of killing those who showed any enthusiasm about his death. He killed his son because the son was happy that he was about to die. Josephus fully describes the death of King Herod, contrary to Matthew.

Both Josephus and Matthew write about King Herod, however, from different perspectives. Josephus writes in favor of the Jews while Matthew writes for the Christians, and that's the difference in how they articulate the issue. Apostle Matthew does not describe how King Herod died, but Josephus does so. The two writers, however, tend to agree at some point as they both write about a wicked king.

References

Carson, D. A. (2017). Matthew. Zondervan Academic.

Friis, M. (2018). Image and Imitation: Josephus' Antiquities 1-11 and Greco-Roman Historiography (Vol. 472). Mohr Siebeck.