Jerusalem's Traitor: Josephus, Masada, and the Fall of Judea

When the Jews revolted against Rome in 66 CE, Josephus, a Jerusalem aristocrat, was made a general in his nation’s army. Captured by the Romans, he saved his skin by finding favor with the emperor Vespasian. He then served as an adviser to the Roman legions, running a network of spies inside Jerusalem, in the belief that the Jews’ only hope of survival lay in surrender to Rome. As a Jewish eyewitness who was given access to Vespasian’s campaign notebooks, Josephus is our only source of information for the war of extermination that ended in the destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple, and the amazing times in which he lived. He is of vital importance for anyone interested in the Middle East, Jewish history, and the early history of Christianity. *** Jerusalem's Traitor: Josephus, Masada, and the Fall of Judea is popular history at its best. Seward tells a rousing tale, one that is well researched and insightful, yet without any of the pedantic word play that often turns readers away from history books. Although written for a general audience, historians and other scholars with an interest in Jewish, Roman, Middle Eastern, and early Christian history will also find this book of great value. I highly recommend this book to readers of every ilk, even those who are not normally intrigued by 'history' books. Jerusalem's Traitor is a ripping good read, filled with intrigue, war, love, and conflict. Seward writes with the skill of a novelist, and the only difference between reading this book and suspense novel, is that Seward's book is all true, and it includes footnotes and an up-to-date bibliography which will prove useful to anyone wishing to explore the fascinating life, world, and works of Josephus in greater detail.