History of the Jewish War

work by Josephus

Also known as: “Bellum Judaicum”

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

June 29, 2026

Quick Summary

The History of the Jewish War is a work by the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus, written between 75 and 79 CE. It details the First Jewish Revolt against Roman rule in Judaea, which occurred from 66 to 70 CE.12

The revolt began with Jewish resistance to Roman authority, escalating into open rebellion in 66 CE. Roman forces, led by Vespasian and his son Titus, were dispatched to quell the uprising. Josephus, initially a commander of Jewish forces in Galilee, surrendered to the Romans and subsequently served with them.12

The war culminated in the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE, marking the collapse of the Jewish state, though resistance continued at Masada until 73 CE. Josephus's work provides a detailed account of Roman military tactics and offers insights into the events of the revolt, though it is also seen as a defense of his own actions.1324

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

4 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

death
Judaism
…recorded in Bellum Judaicum (History of the Jewish War) how doctrinal disputes about death, the existence of an afterlife, and the “fate of the soul” were embodied in the views of various factions. The Sadducees (who spoke for a conservative, sacerdotal aristocracy) were still talking in terms of the…
Read More
…recorded in Bellum Judaicum (History of the Jewish War) how doctrinal disputes about death, the existence of an afterlife, and the “fate of the soul” were embodied in the views of various factions. The Sadducees (who spoke for a conservative, sacerdotal aristocracy) were still talking in terms of the…
Read More

Flavius Josephus
Josephus as historian.
…first work, Bellum Judaicum (History of the Jewish War), was written in seven books between ad 75 and 79, toward the end of Vespasian’s reign. The original Aramaic has been lost, but the extant Greek version was prepared under Josephus’ personal direction. After briefly sketching Jewish history from the…
Read More
…first work, Bellum Judaicum (History of the Jewish War), was written in seven books between ad 75 and 79, toward the end of Vespasian’s reign. The original Aramaic has been lost, but the extant Greek version was prepared under Josephus’ personal direction. After briefly sketching Jewish history from the…
Read More

Meron
Meron is mentioned in the History of the Jewish War (75−79) of Flavius Josephus. It is the site of the tomb of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, 2nd-century rabbinic teacher and legendary author of the Kabbalistic Zohar. On the day of Lag ba-ʿOmer, Orthodox Jews by the thousands make a joyous…
Read More
Meron is mentioned in the History of the Jewish War (75−79) of Flavius Josephus. It is the site of the tomb of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, 2nd-century rabbinic teacher and legendary author of the Kabbalistic Zohar. On the day of Lag ba-ʿOmer, Orthodox Jews by the thousands make a joyous…
Read More

Judaism
Palestinian literature
…a lesser degree, in the Jewish War—is largely a defense of his own questionable behavior as the commander of Jewish forces in Galilee. But these works, especially Against Apion and Jewish Antiquities, are also defenses of Judaism against antisemitic attacks. The Jewish War often quite deliberately parallels the History of…
Read More
…a lesser degree, in the Jewish War—is largely a defense of his own questionable behavior as the commander of Jewish forces in Galilee. But these works, especially Against Apion and Jewish Antiquities, are also defenses of Judaism against antisemitic attacks. The Jewish War often quite deliberately parallels the History of…
Read More