He is valuable as a historian of the Greco-Roman world who sheds light on events of the last century of the Roman Republic and the first century of the Roman Empire. His influence on literature, music, and art -- particularly because of his importance for Christians, who saw fit to preserve all of his works -- has been profound.
Flavius Josephus, whose Hebrew name was Yosef ben Matityahu HaKohen, was born in the first year of the reign of Caligula (A.D. 37). On his mother's side he was descended from the Hasmonaean kings; on his father's side he was not only of priestly ancestry but belonged to the first of the twenty-four courses of priests. Not averse to boasting, Josephus relates that he made great progress in his education and gained a reputation for such an excellent memory and understanding that while he was only fourteen he was universally applauded for his love of letters, and the chief priests and leading men of the city constantly consulted him for precise information on the laws. Starting at the age of sixteen he spent three years gaining personal experience as a Pharisee, a Sadducee, and an Essene, after which he spent three years living with a hermit named Bannus.
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