The Jewish War: First half of Book 4

[cahn]

Last week: Josephus really hypes Vespasian up! Galilee is also very nice! Discussion of Josephus' prophecy of Vespasian, both in Josephus and in Feuchtwanger's novelization, with detours into Antonia and Caenis.

This week: Internal strife in Jerusalem! Lots of internal strife!

Next week: Last half of book 4.

Comments

[selenak]

I might misremember, but early into the Year of the Four Emperors there is also talk about whether Galba, the first of Nero's successors (who is an old fellow with no bioloogical son) might adopt Titus as a way to secure Vespasian's support and/or legions).

I did know about Vespasian's brother, though he is the guy who always gets cut ouf of what few (compared to the Julio-Claudians) fictoinal representations the Flavians get. (Along with Vespasian's only daughter, sister ot Titus and Domitian, of whom we basically only know she existed, but Vespasian's brother was actually an important factor in how he became Emperor and wasn't a woman, so his not making the cut is somewhat more unusual.) But Vespasian doesn't have to eye the throne at this stage already for not wanting to attack Jerusalem in this year. This is Vespasian's first command of this magnitude, he's clearly physically fit still but in terms of life expectancy counts as an old man already, so (always assuming the decades younger Nero continues reigning) this is likely his last big shot at glory, and once he's taken Jerusalem, it's over. Also, Vespasian is notoriously thrifty, and if he as Cahn says sits back and munches popcorn while the various factions in Jerusalem tear each other apart, and then deals with whoever is left, it's far less expensive than if he tries to take the city now and has to defeat much more people. What's he going to do if he goes back to Rome now, retire to the Sabine hills and hope Nero won't hear about any prophecies?

Your terrorists are our freedom fighters or robbers: fascinating, did not know this about "lestes". Re: Barrabas, though - aren't all four gospels written in Greek as well in the original? Or do you mean "latro" is a term from the Vulgata, i.e. the Latin translation used most often until the Renaissance?

[(Anonymous)]

Yes, that's the Vulgate translation (about which I read the article). I am guessing the Koine Greek has a similar term, but my Latin is better than my Greek, so I lazily didn't bother to check. The verse I quoted was John 18:40, which reads in Greek:
ἐκραύγασαν οὖν πάλιν πάντες, λέγοντες, Μὴ τοῦτον, ἀλλὰ τὸν Βαραββᾶν· ἦν δὲ ὁ Βαραββᾶς λῃστής.
(Wikisource: https://el.wikisource.org/wiki/%CE%9A%CE%B1%CF%84%CE%AC_%CE%99%CF%89%CE%AC%CE%BD%CE%BD%CE%B7%CE%BD#18:1)
As I conjectured given the similarity in meaning, the Greek does indeed appear to say "lestes".

[cahn]

Huh! I had not realized that the Matthew mention of Barabbas doesn't mention that he's a robber/terrorist/revolutionary (I think), just that he's a "notorious/notable prisoner" (RSV/KJV translation). (It is very on-brand for me that Barabbas brings Matthew to mind for me because I'm more familiar with the Bach St. Matthew Passion than his St. John passion, and the mention of Barabbas in the former sticks in my head because of Bach's rather disturbing harmonization there. I'll have to go back and see what he does in the St. John.)