Josephus on the servile origins of the Jews in Egypt
The Exodus story of the Israelites' slavery in Egypt and subsequent redemption was central to Jewish accounts of their national origins and was an important component of Jewish self-identification in antiquity. Although Greek and Latin sources appear ignorant of the Exodus story, ancient ethnographies of the Jews in non-Jewish sources claim that the Jews were originally Egyptian. This thesis examines how Josephus presents the Exodus story of the Jews' servile national origins in Egypt to a Roman audience who had biases against slaves, freedmen, and Egyptians, and little knowledge of Jewish origins apart from reports that they were Egyptian by origin. Josephus's first work Jewish War, a politico-military history, includes tangential remarks about Jewish origins, but implies in the proem that the Jews were originally Egyptian. Jewish Antiquities, which rewrites the biblical account of Jewish origins, explicitly denies that the Jews were originally Egyptian and deliberately omits mention of the Jews' servitude in Egypt at important points in the narrative where it would have been expected. In Against Apion, an apologia, Josephus subtly uses keywords and the rhetorical technique of insinuatio to prove that the
Friedman, David A.
Antike Judentum (Weber ; Max) ; ancient ethnography ; Josephus ; Flavius ; History ; Ancient--Historiography ; Jewish Origins ; Exodus ; Ancient Judaism ; Ancient ethnography ; Josephus ; Ancient historiography ; Natural slavery
Josephus on the servile origins of the Jews in Egypt. The Exodus story of the Israelites' slavery in Egypt and subsequent redemption was central to Jewish accounts of their national origins and was an important component of Jewish self-identification in antiquity. Although Greek and Latin sources appear ignorant of the Exodus story, ancient ethnographies of the Jews in non-Jewish sources claim that the Jews were originally Egyptian. This thesis examines how Josephus presents the Exodus story of the Jews' servile national origins in Egypt to a Roman audience who had biases against slaves, freedmen, and Egyptians, and little knowledge of Jewish origins apart from reports that they were Egyptian by origin. Josephus's first work Jewish War, a politico-military history, includes tangential remarks about Jewish origins, but implies in the proem that the Jews were originally Egyptian. Jewish Antiquities, which rewrites the biblical account of Jewish origins, explicitly denies that the Jews were originally Egyptian and deliberately omits mention of the Jews' servitude in Egypt at important points in the narrative where it would have been expected. In Against Apion, an apologia, Josephus subtly uses keywords and the rhetorical technique of insinuatio to prove that the
josephus origin jews egypt exodus story israelites slavery egypt subsequent redemption central jewish account national origin important_component jewish self identification antiquity although greek_latin source appear exodus story ancient ethnography jews non jewish source claim jews originally egyptian examines josephus present exodus story jews national origin egypt roman audience bias slave egyptians little knowledge jewish origins apart report egyptian origin josephus first work jewish war politico military history include remark jewish origin implies jews originally egyptian jewish antiquities rewrite biblical account jewish origin explicitly deny jews originally egyptian deliberately omit mention jews egypt important point narrative would expect apologia josephus use keywords rhetorical technique prove