The Destruction of Jerusalem

The writings of Josephus contain one of the few historical accounts of the wars of the Jews and the destruction of Jerusalem during the Roman occupation of Palestine in 70 A.D. Born in Jerusalem in 37 A.D. and raised in both the Hellenic and Jewish traditions, Josephus spent his life trying to accommodate his admiration for the Romans with his loyalty to his Jewish heritage. Josephus was a priest who served as a general in the Jewish army during a revolt against the Romans, and a mediator whose attempt to find accommodation between the Jews and the Romans in Palestine led the Jews to consider him a traitor. His historical work, The Wars of the Jews, which was published in 75 A.D., is one of the few historical accounts of the Roman army, the city's temple and fortifications, the sack of the temple, and the siege of Masada.