The Adventures of Jonathan According to Josephus
The Adventures of Jonathan According to Josephus

Summary/Abstract: Throughout 1 Sam 14,1-46 the figure of Jonathan is the center of attention as he routs the Philistines, but then faces death at the hands of his father Saul. Josephus retells the biblical account of Jonathan at length in Ant. 6.106-129a. This essay provides a close reading of Josephus’ version in comparison with both the various text-forms of 1 Samuel 14 and the wider ancient Jewish-Christian tradition. Among its findings: Josephus used a text of 1 Samuel 14 which stands closer to that of the LXX than to the MT. In his rewriting, he accentuates both the positive and negative qualities of Saul, even while he makes Jonathan even more a model figure than he is in the Bible. Finally, Josephus’ affinities with other earlier Jewish-Christian utilizations of the 1 Samuel 14 story appear minimal.

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