Against Apion

79 texts in Josephus

Joseph the Ruler of Egyptians

Against Apion 11:1

The writer Josephus, in his work Against Apion, deals with just such an argument. He's responding to the claims of a fellow named Apion, who’s taking potshots at the Jewish people....

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Apion Listed Himself Among the Great Thinkers of History

Against Apion 12:1

Enter Apion, a Graeco-Egyptian intellectual from the 1st century CE. Josephus, the famous Jewish historian, wrote a whole treatise Against Apion to defend Judaism against his sland...

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Josephus Dismantles Apion's Attacks on Jewish Rituals

Against Apion 13:1

Apion, see, had a laundry list of complaints against the Jews. Josephus, in his work Against Apion, takes each one head-on. And in this particular section, Apion throws a few zinge...

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Ancient Slanders Against Moses and the Laws He Gave Israel

Against Apion 14:1

That's the situation the Jewish people faced in antiquity, and it's what prompted Flavius Josephus to write his powerful work, Against Apion. You see, back in the day, not everyone...

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What Made Moses the Greatest Lawgiver of the Ancient World

Against Apion 15:1

It’s a question worth asking, because the answer might surprise you. : those who create systems of order, who value living under laws, they're often seen as better, more virtuous p...

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Moses and the Dreamer of Minos

Against Apion 16:1

It's more than just a historical account; it's a defense of the Jewish people and their traditions. Josephus wants to set the record straight about Moses. He argues that when our a...

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How Jewish Law United Sacred Learning With Daily Life

Against Apion 17:1

The historian Flavius Josephus, writing in his treatise Against Apion, thought he had the answer, at least when it came to the Jewish people. And it all came down to a specific app...

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Josephus Says Jewish Law Is Written on Every Heart

Against Apion 18:1

Most people, as Josephus points out in his treatise Against Apion, are pretty clueless about their own legal systems. They bumble along, accidentally break a rule, and only then do...

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Josephus on the Wonderful Agreement of Jewish Minds

Against Apion 19:1

The first-century historian Josephus, in his work Against Apion, offers a fascinating perspective on this very question when describing the Jewish people. He highlights a remarkabl...

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Josephus Defends Judaism Against the Charge of No Innovation

Against Apion 20:1

It’s a charge that’s been leveled against the Jewish people for centuries. Even Josephus, way back in the first century C.E., tackled this very criticism in his work, Against Apion...

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Josephus Defends the Ancient Wisdom of Jewish Law

Against Apion 21:1

Josephus, a fascinating figure from the first century – a Jewish historian who lived through the Roman conquest of Judea – grappled with this very question in his writings. In his ...

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Josephus Describes Jewish Theocracy as Sacred Government

Against Apion 22:1

Isn't it amazing to consider the different ways people organize their societies, and how those structures reflect their deepest beliefs? : what could be a more sacred form of gover...

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Josephus Argues for One Temple for One God

Against Apion 23:1

Josephus, in his work Against Apion, gives us a glimpse into the Jewish understanding of this concept, and it’s surprisingly profound. Josephus argues that there should be one cent...

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The Strict Marriage Laws That Defined Ancient Jewish Life

Against Apion 24:1

In his work Against Apion, Josephus defends Jewish customs and beliefs against Hellenistic slanders. Here, he outlines the traditional Jewish view of marriage, starting with a clea...

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Josephus on the Power of Educating Children

Against Apion 25:1

He argues that the strength of a community isn't found in fleeting celebrations or momentary pleasures, but in the consistent, dedicated education of its children. for a second. Jo...

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Jewish Burial Practices and the True Meaning of Immortality

Against Apion 26:1

Josephus, the first-century Romano-Jewish historian, gives us a fascinating glimpse into just that when describing Jewish law in his work, Against Apion. He points out something cr...

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Honor Your Parents Immediately After God Himself

Against Apion 27:1

Maybe we should look back, way back, to some ancient wisdom. Flavius Josephus, a first-century Romano-Jewish scholar, in his work Against Apion, gives us a glimpse into the values ...

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Josephus on Welcoming Strangers Without Dissolving Identity

Against Apion 28:1

The historian Josephus, in his work Against Apion, gives us some insight into this very question. He highlights how Jewish law, as he understood it, navigated the delicate balance ...

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Moses's Offering

Against Apion 29:1

In his work, Against Apion, he outlines some of the core principles embedded in Jewish law. And they go way beyond the usual "be nice" platitudes. He points out that our legislator...

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Josephus Defends Jewish Law on Capital Crimes

Against Apion 30:1

Flavius Josephus, in his work Against Apion, gives us a glimpse into the ancient Jewish legal and moral framework, and it’s He's writing to defend Judaism against its detractors, a...

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Lycurgus on Shabbat

Against Apion 31:1

What if someone just made up the Torah? What if they presented it to the world and said, "Here, this is how to live," and people just… believed them? That's the thought experiment ...

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Josephus Defends Jewish Devotion to the Law

Against Apion 32:1

It’s a question that sits at the heart of Jewish identity, and one that Josephus, the first-century Romano-Jewish historian, grapples with in his work, Against Apion. He's essentia...

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Joseph Beyond the Firmament

Against Apion 33:1

And in the ancient world, it was no different. Flavius Josephus, the first-century Romano-Jewish scholar and historian, knew this all too well. In his work, Against Apion, he passi...

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Josephus Mocks the Absurd Gods of Other Nations

Against Apion 34:1

And let's just say, he wasn't a fan. Josephus minces no words. He tells us that the "wisest men" justly rebuked these notions, openly mocking the idea that gods could be young and ...

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Joseph's Transgression

Against Apion 35:1

Flavius Josephus, the first-century Romano-Jewish historian, grappled with this very question in his work, Against Apion. And his answer is surprisingly relevant, even today. Josep...

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Josephus Answers the Charge That Jews Rejected Outsiders

Against Apion 36:1

Flavius Josephus, a 1st-century Romano-Jewish historian, knew that feeling all too well. In his work, Against Apion, he defends Judaism against its detractors, and in this section,...

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Socrates Faces Judgment

Against Apion 37:1

Our guide is Josephus, the first-century Romano-Jewish historian. In his work Against Apion, he defends Judaism against its detractors. And in doing so, he offers a fascinating, an...

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The Ancient Law That Offered No Loopholes for Wrongdoers

Against Apion 38:1

Josephus, a Jewish historian writing in the 1st century CE, grappled with this very question in his work, Against Apion. He was defending Judaism against its detractors, and one of...

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Josephus Claims Greek Philosophers Imitated Jewish Laws

Against Apion 39:1

The writer Josephus, in his work Against Apion, makes a pretty bold claim. He argues that Jewish laws and customs have not only been admired but actively imitated by people across ...

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Josephus Defends Moses Against Egyptian Slander

Against Apion 40:1

Ever get the feeling someone's telling stories about you, and they're just... not true? That's kind of the situation the Jewish historian Josephus found himself in during the first...

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The Enduring Beauty of Jewish Law According to Josephus

Against Apion 41:1

The ancient writer Josephus, in his powerful work Against Apion, gives us a glimpse into the heart of Jewish values, and it's a vision that still resonates today. He’s essentially ...

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