Jotapata falls and Josephus enters Roman custody
About this date: Placed during Vespasian's Galilean campaign. Josephus gives siege and month details, but this timeline does not convert them into an asserted modern day.
After the Roman capture of Jotapata, Josephus survives and enters Roman custody. His account of this turning point helps readers understand the position of the historian whom Eusebius later quotes.
Historical context
Josephus had commanded forces in Galilee. His later history narrates his own actions, survival, and prediction of Vespasian's imperial future from the vantage point of Flavian rule.
Key points
- The capture belongs to the Galilean campaign, three years before Jerusalem's destruction.
- Josephus describes himself as a participant, not a distant compiler of this episode.
- His detailed self-defense is itself evidence about how he wanted later readers to understand his change of position.
People
- Flavius Josephus
- Vespasian
- Titus
Sources and further reading
- Jewish War: the author's stated position
Josephus explains his participation and the aims of his history. - Jewish War: the end of Jotapata and Josephus's surrender
Compare the capture narrative with Josephus's account of his own survival.