Josephus, Son of Matthias

Josephus, the son of Matthias, a priest of Jerusalem, was taken prisoner by Vespasian and his son Titus and was banished. Coming to Rome, he presented to the emperors, father and son, seven books On the Captivity of the Jews, which were placed in the public library; and because of his genius he was found worthy of a statue at Rome. He also wrote twenty books of Antiquities, from the beginning of the world to the fourteenth year of Domitian Caesar, and two books of Antiquities against Apion, the grammarian of Alexandria. Apion had been sent under Caligula as envoy on behalf of the Gentiles against Philo, and he had also written a book abusing the Jewish nation. Another book of his, entitled On All-Ruling Wisdom, in which the martyr deaths of the Maccabees are told, is highly regarded. [a]

In the eighth book of his Antiquities he acknowledges most openly that Christ was put to death by the Pharisees because of the greatness of his miracles, that John the Baptist was truly a prophet, and that Jerusalem was destroyed because of the murder of James the apostle. He also wrote about the Lord in this way: “At this same time there was Jesus, a wise man, if indeed it is lawful to call him a man. For he was a worker of wonderful miracles, and a teacher of those who freely receive the truth. He had very many followers, both of the Jews and of the Gentiles, and he was believed to be the Christ. And when, through the envy of our leading men, Pilate had crucified him, those who had loved him at first nevertheless continued to the end; for he appeared to them alive on the third day. Many things, both these and other wonderful things, are in the songs of the prophets who prophesied about him; and the sect of Christians, named after him, exists to this day.”