On the Contents of the Yosippon

According to Flusser, there is an original text and later additions. “Later” means “added later”, but not necessarily later in origin, as far as I can make out, though I haven’t read the introduction in detail yet.

Original text. There were two Agrippas. The first reigned for twenty-three years and died in the time of Claudius. The second reigned for twenty years. The Temple was destroyed in the last year of Agrippa II on the 9th Av.

Later addition. Agrippa II and Monobaz were executed by Vespasian, who was deceived by wicked persons into thinking Agrippa and Monobaz were plotting against him. This was 1,290 days before the destruction of the Temple. The Tamid offering ended three and a half years before the destruction. (This must mean Agrippa and Monobaz were executed a week after the Tamid ended). The two events are implicitly related to each other and both are explicitly connected to Daniel IX.

Another later addition. Josephus speaking in the first person expresses his satisfaction at finding favour with Vespasian as soon as Agrippa and Monobaz were executed. (He doesn’t say anything about the truth or falsehood of the charges against them, only that Vespasian believed the charges and this was useful to him. [Bastard!].

Notice that in the previous insertion the evidence is explicitly said to be deliberate slander by wicked persons. The first insertion and the second must have different origins.

Berenike is consistently called Beronike or Veronike. (The first letter is ambiguous. The [o] vowel is certain).

Flusser puts the Yosippon book in the 9th c. Others have argued that the content is much older than the book as we have it. I think this to be true, on the basis of the content and on the basis of comparison with other chronicles.