In this episode, Doug explores the life of one of Rome's most important and controversial historians: Flavius Josephus. Josephus started his life in the first century as a brilliant Jewish scholar and Pharisee. He was familiar with the Jewish sects and Roman leaders who opposed Jesus and John the Baptist, and he saw the beginnings of Christianity. He later fought as a general in the war for Jewish independence against Rome up until he was captured. Like Joseph of Egypt, he befriended his captors and soon became a friend and ally to them. An ambitious Roman general, Vespasian, appreciated Josephus so much that he adopted Josephus into his own family and bequeathed upon Josephus lands, properties, and a steady income. Josephus then watched the war from the Roman perspective. Later, Josephus dedicated his life to writing down all that he saw. His books on Judaism, the Jewish Revolt, and his autobiography have since become invaluable tools for understanding the Old Testament, the New Testament, the Dead Sea Scrolls, Judaism, the Holy Land, the politics of first century Rome, and the Roman emperors Vespasian and Titus. 

Because he was a man who appreciated both the philosophy of the Judeo-Christian religion and the law of Greco-Roman tradition, Josephus (like St. Paul) was one of the very first men of Western Civilization.