Against Apion

79 texts in Josephus

Jerome's Miracle

Against Apion 1:1

And his response? A powerful and passionate defense of the Jewish people, a work we know as Against Apion. Now, the title Against Apion is a bit misleading, at least for this first...

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Epaphroditus's Transgression

Against Apion 1:2

That’s the situation the historian Josephus found himself in, and it led him to write one of his most passionate works, Against Apion. He begins this work by addressing a man named...

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Why Josephus Said the Greeks Got Ancient History Wrong

Against Apion 2:1

Josephus begins by expressing his astonishment at those who insist on relying solely on Greek sources when seeking information about the most ancient events. Why, he asks, should w...

CreationMiraclesWisdomExile

Josephus Exposes the Missing Proof Behind Greek History

Against Apion 2:2

Flavius Josephus, in his Against Apion, grapples with precisely this when he contrasts the historical record of the Jews with that of the Greeks. He points out that the Greeks them...

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Account of Hellanicus

Against Apion 3:1

How can the Greeks be so proud, boasting that they alone possess knowledge of antiquity and have delivered accurate accounts of early times? It seems a bit... well, absurd, doesn't...

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How Bad Record-Keeping Corrupted Ancient Greek Histories

Against Apion 4:1

Why can't we get a straight story? Josephus, in his work Against Apion, grapples with this very issue, specifically regarding the discrepancies between Greek and Jewish accounts of...

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Josephus Reveals Why Ancient Historians Lied for Fame

Against Apion 5:1

Josephus points out a fundamental problem: when historians lack reliable source material, disagreements are bound to arise. If there are no original records, then individual interp...

JosephAdam & EveTruthHumor

How the Egyptians and Babylonians Kept Their Records

Against Apion 6:1

Josephus, in his work Against Apion, reflects on this very question. He's making a case for the integrity and antiquity of Jewish history, and he does so by comparing it to the his...

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The Sacred Bloodline That Guarded the Jewish Priesthood

Against Apion 7:1

It was a matter of utmost importance, a sacred duty meticulously observed. Josephus, in his work Against Apion, gives us a fascinating glimpse into this world. He explains that our...

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The Twenty-Two Sacred Books That Defined Jewish Scripture

Against Apion 8:1

The historian Josephus, writing in his work Against Apion, gives us a glimpse into the Jewish perspective on this very question. He contrasts the Jewish reverence for scripture wit...

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Vespasian's Understanding

Against Apion 9:1

That’s precisely where Josephus found himself. Josephus, a name that echoes through the ages. He was a Jewish leader and scholar who lived in the first century CE, a time of immens...

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Josephus Defends His Credibility Against Roman Critics

Against Apion 10:1

Here he is, trying to set the record straight, and he's facing accusations that his work is nothing more than a "scholastic performance," something churned out just for show. Can y...

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Story of Joseph

Against Apion 11:1

He tackles this head-on in his work, Against Apion, a passionate defense of Judaism against its detractors. And in this section, Josephus gets straight to the point: he's had enoug...

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Herodotus's Miracle

Against Apion 12:1

Josephus, the first-century Romano-Jewish historian, grappled with this very question when trying to explain why the Jewish people weren't as well-known to the Greeks as, say, the ...

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How Josephus Proved the Jewish Nation Was Ancient

Against Apion 13:1

It’s a tangled web of texts, traditions, and sometimes, well, good old-fashioned arguments. Imagine trying to prove your nation’s antiquity. How would you do it? The historian Jose...

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What an Egyptian Priest Wrote About the Israelites

Against Apion 14:1

Take the story of the Jewish people and their time in Egypt, for example. We all know the Exodus story from the Torah, but what did the Egyptians themselves say about it? That's wh...

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Joseph and the Promised Land of Manetho

Against Apion 15:1

Today, let's dive into one such fragment, courtesy of Flavius Josephus, the first-century Romano-Jewish scholar. He's quoting an Egyptian historian named Manetho in his work Agains...

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Marriage of Manetho

Against Apion 16:1

to one such instance, where the Egyptian historian Manetho gives us a glimpse into how the ancient world viewed the Israelites' exodus from Egypt. Josephus, in his work Against Api...

JosephEgyptAdam & EveExodus

Phoenician Records That Confirmed Solomon's Temple

Against Apion 17:1

Especially when it comes to ancient history, where records are fragmented and perspectives are varied. Today, let's dive into how the Jewish narrative, specifically the story of Ki...

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Hirom in Solomon's Court

Against Apion 18:1

It's rarely a straightforward story. Often, it's about cross-referencing accounts, sifting through different perspectives, and trying to create a cohesive narrative from fragments....

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When a Babylonian Priest Confirmed the Jewish Bible

Against Apion 19:1

It turns out, they often are. And that's precisely what Flavius Josephus, the first-century Jewish historian, points out in his work, Against Apion. He's making a case for the anti...

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Berosus and the Holy Sanctuary

Against Apion 20:1

He’s wading into a historical debate, and it's more tangled than you might think. Josephus brings up Berosus, a Babylonian priest and historian, who wrote a Chaldean History. Beros...

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Nebuchadnezzar's Destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem

Against Apion 21:1

It's not just about finding one source and calling it a day. It's a puzzle, drawing together different accounts, comparing notes, and seeing where they align. And sometimes, the mo...

DanielTempleExile

Soul of Pythagoras

Against Apion 22:1

It's easy to think of ourselves as existing in a bubble, separate from the larger currents of history. But the truth is, we were always part of the conversation, even if sometimes ...

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Kingdom of Cherilus

Against Apion 22:7

It's easy to imagine them through our own lens, colored by sacred texts and centuries of tradition. But what did the rest of the world see? Well, let’s start with a rather unflatte...

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Kingdom of Hieronymus

Against Apion 23:1

Josephus, the first-century Romano-Jewish historian, certainly felt that way, and in his work Against Apion, he confronts this head-on. Josephus points out that some writers chose ...

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Tale of Theopompus

Against Apion 24:1

In this particular section, Josephus addresses the nasty accusations and outright lies that were being spread about the Jewish people. He argues that these slanders are, well, just...

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Why Egyptian Writers Twisted the Story of the Israelites

Against Apion 25:1

Take the ancient Egyptians and the Israelites, for example. Their story is filled with power struggles, cultural clashes, and some serious finger-pointing. Josephus, in his work Ag...

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Manetho's Transgression

Against Apion 26:1

Today, we're diving into one such path, guided by the words of Josephus, a first-century Romano-Jewish historian. He's responding to some pretty harsh claims made by an Egyptian pr...

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Manetho: Joseph in the Days of Moses

Against Apion 27:1

to a bit of ancient Egypt as seen through the eyes of Flavius Josephus, the first-century Romano-Jewish scholar, as he confronts some pretty wild accusations leveled against the Je...

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Joseph and Moses of Manetho

Against Apion 28:1

Our story comes to us, indirectly, from Flavius Josephus, the 1st-century Romano-Jewish historian. In his work Against Apion, Josephus is defending Judaism against its detractors. ...

JosephMosesProphecyPrayer

Manetho in Joseph's Time

Against Apion 29:1

We're diving into the writings of Manetho, an Egyptian priest and historian, and specifically, his account of the Exodus. Now, Josephus, the first-century Jewish historian, wasn’t ...

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Joseph and Pharaoh of Egyptian

Against Apion 30:1

Sometimes, digging into the past brings up unexpected things... and uncomfortable questions. Today, we're wading into one of those uncomfortable corners, a place where ancient bias...

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The Egyptian Slander That Called Moses a Leper

Against Apion 31:1

It concerns Moses, the ultimate liberator, and some truly wild accusations leveled against him. Now, Josephus, in his work Against Apion, addresses these very claims, specifically ...

JosephMosesEgyptShabbat

Cheremon and the Dreamer

Against Apion 32:1

We often think of the classic texts – the Torah, the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) – but there's a whole other world of accounts out there, often written by those not ...

JosephMosesTempleEgypt

Isis in Joseph's Time

Against Apion 33:1

We've been looking at how different writers tried to explain the story of the Israelites leaving Egypt. Last time, we dug into Manetho's version, and now we're going to look at Che...

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The Most Hateful Lie Ever Written About the Jewish People

Against Apion 34:1

That’s exactly what we find ourselves facing when we delve into the writings of Lysimachus, a figure who, according to Josephus in his work Against Apion, spun a tale so incredibly...

JosephMosesProphecyHoly Land

Josephus Takes Down an Anonymous Slanderer of Judaism

Against Apion 35:1

Ever hear a story so outlandish, so dripping with bias, that you just have to raise an eyebrow and ask, "Really?" That's exactly the kind of tale we're diving into today, thanks to...

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Josephus Proves Jewish History Against Hostile Accusers

Against Apion 1:1

Remember that feeling when someone tells you something so outrageous, so demonstrably false, that you almost don't want to dignify it with a response? But then you realize, silence...

JosephMosesTempleEgypt

Joseph and Creation of Moses

Against Apion 2:1

Our guide for this adventure is Flavius Josephus, the first-century Romano-Jewish scholar and historian, and the story comes from his work, Against Apion. This book is essentially ...

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Signs and Wonders of Joseph

Against Apion 3:1

Apion was an Egyptian, and he spun a wild yarn about the Jews' exodus from Egypt. Josephus calls it a "novel account," which is a polite way of saying it was complete fiction. But ...

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Josephus Fights Back Against Apion's Attack on Alexandria's Jews

Against Apion 4:1

He's responding to the claims of a writer named Apion, who seems to have a real bone to pick with the Jews of Alexandria. Apion, you see, is going after the Alexandrian Jews, criti...

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Kingdom of Cleopatra

Against Apion 5:1

The Jewish people have faced that challenge for centuries, and in his work Against Apion, Josephus steps up to the plate to set the record straight against a particularly virulent ...

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Why Apion Had No Right to Question Jewish Worship

Against Apion 6:1

The historian Josephus, in his work Against Apion, tackles these accusations head-on. Apion, a Graeco-Egyptian intellectual, throws a real zinger: "If the Jews are citizens of Alex...

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Posidonius Before the Altar

Against Apion 7:1

It's an age-old problem, and one that the historian Josephus tackled head-on in his work, Against Apion. We're going to delve into one specific accusation hurled against the Jews i...

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High Priest Faces Judgment

Against Apion 8:1

Josephus, the first-century Romano-Jewish scholar, takes on Apion's wild accusations in his work Against Apion, and it’s a doozy. Apion, in his eagerness to smear the Jewish people...

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The Wild Tale of Zabidus and the Golden Donkey Head

Against Apion 9:1

It comes to us from Apion, a Graeco-Egyptian intellectual who lived in the 1st century CE and who, shall we say, wasn't the biggest fan of the Jewish people. His writings, thankful...

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The Absurd Oath That Jews Supposedly Swore Against Greeks

Against Apion 10:1

He claimed they swore "by God, the Maker of the heaven, and earth, and sea, to bear no good will to any foreigner, and particularly to none of the Greeks." Now, Josephus, the Jewis...

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