Is Josephus regarded by the Jews as a hero or a renegade?
ANSWER:
Josephus is regarded by those who know – as a disloyal Jew who was loyal to Jewish traditions. He was a patriot for his people, and he was a maamin, he believed in everything, and he loved his people. But they consider him a man who sold out in order to gain privileges, in order to gain the favor of those who had power.
Josephus is considered by many as a true patriot, but they are people who really don't know the history. The sefer doros harishonim is the one whose opinion is always quoted here. There is no question that Josephus believed in everything, and he was a loyal believer, and he was proud of his Judaism, and he understood what there was to be proud of, and there are many things in his works that are really inspiring!
But he sold out to the enemies of his people, and as a result when the Bais Hamikdash was destroyed by Titus, the Roman general who later became Emperor, Josephus was allowed to live the rest of his life in the palace of Titus.
He lived in the Palace of Titus.
Good Shabbos To All
This is transcribed from questions that were posed to Harav Miller by the audience at the Thursday night lectures. To listen to the audio of this Q & A please dial: 201-676-3210
Important Numbers
