Against Apion

Flavius JosephusProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.8

Word count: 231K words
Chapters: 24

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Against Apion by Flavius JosephusAuthor: Josephus, Flavius, 38?-100?,Language: English, Class: BM: Philosophy, Psychology, Religion: Judaism, Release Date: Oct 1, 2001

Editor's review

Against Apion is Josephus's polemical defense of the Jewish people and Judaism, written in response to attacks on the Jews by the Alexandrian scholar Apion and others. The work is structured around refutation: on the one hand it answers doubts about Jewish history, stressing the antiquity and reliability of Jewish tradition; on the other it examines Greek writers' accounts of the Jews and points out their biases and factual errors. Its value for readers lies in showing how different civilizations of the ancient Mediterranean viewed and judged one another, and in offering a sample of Josephus's historiographical method and rhetorical strategy. Its strength is a clear structure of argument and dense citation of sources, with both point-by-point replies to specific charges and an overall defense of the nation's reputation. It suits readers interested in ancient Jewish history, cultural contact in the Hellenistic period, and classical historiography and rhetoric, and can also serve as supplementary material for studying ancient apologetic literature. Read it slowly, and be careful to distinguish the views the author quotes from others from his own position.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Learners studying ancient Jewish history and Hellenistic culture
Readers interested in classical historiography, rhetoric, and polemical texts
Religious history researchers seeking to understand ancient apologetic writing
General readers hoping to broaden their understanding of national images in the classical world

Not a good fit for

Casual readers expecting light storytelling or novel-like narrative
Beginners without a background in ancient history who are unwilling to check proper names
Readers seeking only a systematic summary of Jewish doctrine

Reading tips

Read the introduction or relevant background material first to clarify who Apion was and the context of the controversy, then proceed to the main text.
While reading, note the names and sources of the Greek writers Josephus cites, so his argumentative method can be checked.
Read alongside a general history of ancient Judaism to avoid taking polemical statements as neutral narrative.
After each section, summarize its charge and response in one or two sentences to build notes on the argument's structure

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Whose views does this book mainly refute?

Mainly those of Apion and other Hellenistic writers who attacked the Jewish people and their history. Josephus responds point by point to charges that the Jews were of recent origin, had strange customs, and lacked reliable records, and he examines the biases and errors in Greek authors' accounts.

Can I read this book without a background in ancient history?

You can try, but it is quite difficult. The book involves many ancient writers, place names, and events, and without background knowledge it is easy to get lost. It is advisable first to acquire introductory knowledge of Hellenistic and Second Temple Jewish history, then read with an annotated edition.

What should I pay most attention to while reading?

Pay attention to the features of polemical writing: the author is selective in quoting opponents' views, and the argument serves a defensive purpose. Distinguishing factual statements, citations of sources, and rhetorical evaluations will help readers understand the text more accurately.

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About the author

Flavius Josephus Author · Jewish (Roman citizen)

Flavius Josephus (Josephus, Flavius, 38?-100?) was a first-century Jewish historian and priest born in Jerusalem. During the First Jewish-Roman War, he served as a military commander in Galilee, later surrendered to Rome, was released, and obtained Roman citizenship. His works include The Wars of the Jews, Antiquities of the Jews, The Life of Flavius Josephus, and Against Apion. They mostly recount the history of the Second Temple period, combining personal experience with historical compilation in a detailed style, and are important sources for the study of Jewish history of that era. Public information is limited regarding the exact dates of his birth and death and his early education.