The Physical, Human, and Moral Geographies of Judaea in Tacitus’s Histories and Josephus

Abstract

“The Physical, Human, and Moral Geographies of Judaea in Tacitus’s Histories and Josephus” concerns the reputation of Judaea and the Judaean people within the texts of Tacitus and Josephus, and specifically how both of these authors use the environs, settlement patterns, and city layouts within Judaea to describe the relative piety or impiety of the Judaean people. Topics discussed include: supernatural providence within the natural landscape of Judaea, the persistent nomadism of the Judaeans, and the system of morality suggested by the structure of Jerusalem.