Titus in the Yosippon

There is nothing of significance about Titus in the Yosippon, except for his prayer starting on p. 409, but this is taken from the Talmud anyway (Hagigah ch. V, leaf 41b). What is remarkable is the note by the gormless scribe that decided not to finish copying the prayer, saying that all this was blasphemy. The scribe’s note shows that he thought exactly like those that Titus considered responsible for the destruction. There is nothing of significance in the three mentions of Veronike (Veronica), except that she is always mentioned favourably. All mentions of Agrippa are favourable.

I think I should tell you that all the time put into reading this book was done as a favour to you and for no other reason, as I gave up all work on Hebrew lit. a long while ago. It is only by accident that the Yosippon was kept when I threw most of my Hebrew books out (literally) some years ago to clear forty feet of shelf space for more important stuff. It is now going back onto the shelf for the moment while I decide whether to keep it or not. The rule I set was that all books up to the close of the Babylonian Talmud in about 500 A.D. would be kept in case I needed to look something up in connection with historical research on other subjects. I will have to decide how old the content is, I suppose.