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Josephus introduces himself

c. 75–79 CE. His own words.

Where and when

c. 75–79 CERome and its world

about 1,949 years ago

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Josephus

His own words

In plain words, ours

I, Joseph son of Matthias, a Hebrew and a priest, fought the Romans at first, and was then forced to watch what happened after.

Joseph, the son of Matthias, by birth a Hebrew, a priest also, and one who at first fought against the Romans myself, and was forced to be present at what was done afterwards, [am the author of this work].

Josephus, The Jewish War 1.1Translated by William Whiston (1737)Read the full passage (Josephus, The Jewish War 1.1, opens scaife.perseus.org)

What was going on, our summary

Josephus introduces himself at the start of his history of the Jewish war against Rome, written in the 70s CE. He says he first wrote it in his own language and is now putting it into Greek for people living under Roman rule.

Checked claim by claim against: Judaea rises against Rome, the passage around the quote.

Why it matters

The work Josephus opens here is the only extensive eyewitness account of the revolt to survive from antiquity, and a foundational source for the late Second Temple period.

Based on Wikipedia: The Jewish War

As the only extensive eyewitness narrative of the revolt to survive antiquity, The Jewish War is a foundational source for the late Second Temple period of Jewish history.

Wikipedia, The Jewish War (opens en.wikipedia.org), as of 2026-09-28. Text CC BY-SA 4.0. Our line is checked against these sentences only.

Related moments

In time order, with this one in its place. Each says why it is here.

  1. c. 335–322 BCEabout 404 years earlier Aristotle on poetry and history Also about how history gets told
  2. set in 64 CEabout 13 years earlier Tacitus on the Great Fire of Rome Also about how history gets told
  3. 66 CEabout 11 years earlier Judaea rises against Rome The event behind it
  4. set in c. 73–74 CEabout 3.5 years earlier Eleazar's speech at Masada, per Josephus More from Josephus
  5. set in c. 73–74 CEabout 3.5 years earlier Eleazar's speech at Masada, in Josephus More from Josephus
  6. c. 75–79 CEThis momentJosephus introduces himself
  7. c. 75–79 CEDuring it Josephus on grieving for Jerusalem Same passageMore from Josephus
  8. 79 CEabout 2 years later Vesuvius erupts and buries Pompeii Same years
  9. 80 CEabout 3 years later Titus opens the Colosseum with games Same years

Just before and after

The text around the quote, word for word from the same translation.

Show the passageHide the passage

I have proposed to myself, for the sake of such as live under the government of the Romans, to translate those books into the Greek tongue, which I formerly composed in the language of our country, and sent to the Upper Barbarians;

The quote: Joseph, the son of Matthias, by birth a Hebrew, a priest also, and one who at first fought against the Romans myself, and was forced to be present at what was done afterwards, [am the author of this work].

Now at the time when this great concussion of affairs happened, the affairs of the Romans were themselves in great disorder. Those Jews also who were for innovations, then arose when the times were disturbed; they were also in a flourishing condition for strength and riches, insomuch that the affairs of the East were then exceeding tumultuous, while some hoped for gain, and others were afraid of loss in such troubles; for the Jews hoped that all of their nation which were beyond Euphrates would have raised an insurrection together with them.

Josephus, The Jewish War 1.1–4Translated by William Whiston (1737)Read the full passage (opens scaife.perseus.org)

When, and whose words

Date
c. 75–79 CE. The preface of the Jewish War, which he wrote in the 70s CE, after the war.
Whose words
His own words.
How this post was checked
  • The plain-words line was read against the quote alone by a second, independent pass, which found it adds no claim the quote does not make (2026-10-03).
  • Each claim in the summary was checked by an independent pass against only the material it cites.
  • The quote itself is checked by the build: word for word, once, at the cited section of the stored translation.

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