Bibliography
| Title: Die Arsakiden bei Josephus Secondary Title: Josephus-Studien: Untersuchungen zu Josephus, dem Antiken Judentum and dem Neuen Testament Pages: 97-109 Type: Book Section Year: 1974 Abstract: "p. 97 -- Josephus is one of the four most important sources for Parthian history, alongside Tacitus, Justinus, and Cassius Dio.
-- specific questions: What does Jos contribute to our knowledge of the Arsacids? How certain things really were? What influence did the challenge/demand of the past events have on the character of his historical narrative?
p. 97 n. 1 -- accepts position of M-B that Josephus stands in a twilight: remained a representative of Jewish Faith, but in the service of a certain heathen dynasty (xvii).
-- one sees this contradiction even in the purpose of the Aramaic BJ (die Abzweckung der ersten Ausgabe des Bellum): 'nicht nur den Juden, sondern vor allem den Parthern, die den römischen Kaisern stets viele Schwierigkeiten machten, sollte sie zur Warnung dienen, die römische Macht zu leicht zu nehmen' (xxi in M-B, though not a quotation it seems). Colpe agrees and wishes to pursue this in the present article.
p. 98 -- the 5 most important works on the Parthians, which all use Josephus: A. von Gutschmid, Geschichte Irans und seiner Nachbarländer von Alexander dem Grüssen bis zum Untergang der Arsaciden (Tübingen, 1888), on Jos pp. 80, 121-23, n 116 n. 1, and n. 2 in appendix; Debevoise, A Political History of Parthia, 1938; U. Kahrstedt, Artabanos III. und seine Erben, Bern 1950; K. H. Ziegler, Die Beziehungen zwischen Rom und dem Partherreich: ein Beitrag zur Geschichte des Völkerrechts (Wiesbaden 1964); Neusner, Hist. of the Jews of Bab. I. Parthians, 1969 (rev. edition).
p. 99 -- examines 6 connections between Parthians and Jews, to specify their relations:
1. -- between 138 and 129 BCE, Parthians appear in Josephus in the interval between Demetrius II Nicator's two reigns (imprisoned for 10 years by Mithridates I (171-38/7 BCE) when he lost battle to him; Parthians support Antiochus VII Sidetes as regent, until he takes on Phraates II and is killed in battle; Demetrius II freed again. Essentially changed the conditions under which Jonathan through JHyrc had to function -- rivalry between each of these masters and Diodotus Tryphon.
2. p. 100 -- activities helped Alexander Janneus during Seleucid kings Alexander X (95-83), Demetrius III (95-88), Philip Epiphanes (121-96 BCE).
3. -- It was in the time of Hyrcanus II that Crassus' defeat at Charrhae took place (53 BCE; AJ 14.119; BJ 1.180); Josephus mentions that Crassus had plundered temple in preparation (AJ 14.105; BJ 1.179). Many Jews were of course on the Parthian side when Crassus was defeated.
4. -- for a little more than 3 years (40-37 BCE), the Parthians had their own client king (Antigonus) in Jerusalem until Ventidius Bassus drove them out of the area.
5. -- from 38 BCE to 38 CE (Phraates IV to Artabanus IV), an exceptional period because of agreement between Tiberius and Artabanus, and because of Herod Antipas' scheming with Artabanus' help against Tiberius and Gaius (AJ 18.39-52, 96-105, 220).
6. -- the two important episodes of the 15-year Jewish dynasty in Babylonia, tolerated by Artabnus III, and the conversion of the royal house of Adiabene, not only tolerated by Artabanus III but actively supported him, and was suported by him, in the revolt of his satraps.
p. 101 -- so, a long history of Parthian connection with Hasmoneans and later Judeans as part of their conflict with Rome.
-- so Josephus chooses, from an abundance of historical material on Parthia, those events that involve the Jews in some way -- just as he does with Roman history.
p. 102 -- Jos might have pointed out, without straining his portrayal, how the Parthians performed a great service for the Hasmoneans in checking and diminishing Seleucid power during the terms of the first Hasmonean rulers.
p. 103 -- 1 Macc 15.16-24 relates a Roman decree that Judeans were friends, published among various NE powers -- Demetrius II (Seleucid), Attalus II of Pergamum, Ariarathes V of Cappadocia, and Arsaces VI (Mithr. I) of Parthia, as well as numerous smaller shots. 1 Macc puts it in time of Simon Macc., whereas Jos (AJ 14.145-47) puts it in time of Hyrc II. But the earlier
date is more likely for many reasons, which means that it must have reached the Parthians as they were about to take Babylonia, and would have come as a warning not to harm the Judeans living there (Neusner, 24). Josephus likely placed it 92 years later.
p. 104 -- Fits with his omission of Parthian visit to Alex. J's court (jBer 7.2.48a) because he did not want to show Parthian friendship with Judeans at the time. Similarly, he puts the Roman-Judean friendship later, after Alex J., to bring it into more recent history.
-- similarly, he changes some of the Armenian campaigns by Roman generals to Parthian campaigns, to set up Romans as victors over Parthians (AJ 15.80; BJ 1.363 -- campaigns of Ventidius Bassus and Marc Antony)
p. 105 -- this is of course purely hypothetical.
p. 106-107 -- we learn next to nothing from Josephus about internal workings of Parthian government because of Josephus's pro-Roman posture". |