Reading Up On The History Of The Jewish People

[Michael37]

The New Complete Works of JOSEPHUS (c. A.D. 37 - 100), translated by William Whiston (1662 - 1752), with a commentary by Paul L. Maier.

The 18th century language of the Whiston translation has been updated, using modern vocabulary and spellings in all five complete and unabridged works.

The appendix and index are very useful for research, and the historical accounts are enlightening.

[missmuffet]

I get some good history in some of the Christian fiction books I have read. The authors have to do a lot of research on facts so most of it is true. Really interesting. I never did like history in the past but I now find it quite interesting.

[Michael37]

My reading of Josephus has made me aware of the extremes of Jewish ideology from the Babylonian Captivity to the Advent of Christ. 

Following various concessions to their Babylonian and Medo-Persian overlords, many Jews inherited a willingness to incorporate pagan aspects into their worldview and lifestyle, with Greek philosophy becoming so popular that a strong counter-culture to it emerged which eventually took the Pharisees into legalism.