Shaye J.D. Cohen, “History and Historiography in the Against Apion of Josephus,” History and Theory, vol. 27, no. 4 [=Essays in Jewish Historiography] (December 1988): 1-11 (original) (raw)

Throughout his writings Josephus plays the historical critic.' The Jewish War opens with an attack against the Greek historians of the war of 66-70 CE: they disregard the truth, base their narratives on little data or false data, vilify the Jews, and magnify the Romans (Jewish War 1.1-8).2 Greek historians care more for rhetoric than truth (Jewish War 1.13-16). In the Jewish Antiquities Josephus criticizes Polybius, "a good man," for ignoring the true explanation of the death of Antiochus Epiphanes (Jewish Antiquities 12.358-359),' and criticizes Nicolas of Damascus for being biased in favor of his patron Herod (Jewish Antiquities 16.183-187). In the Vita Josephus devotes a long digression to the malfeasance of Justus of Tiberias as both politician and historian (Vita 336-367).4 These and other passages show that Josephus practiced historical criticism in all his works, but it is the Against Apion that contains his most detailed reflections on the duties and methods of the historian.