1524, Cologne: Flauii Iosephi Hebraei historiographi clariss. opera
This large volume, still in its original binding, consists of the Latin text of the Opera (the "complete works") of Josephus. However, it does not include all of Josephus' works. The Vita is absent. Following an index, the volume begins with Josephus' magnum opus, the twenty-book Jewish Antiquities, followed by Jewish War and Against Apion. These are followed by "de insigni Machabaeorum martyrio liber unus"= the account of the remarkable martyrdom of the Maccabees. That is the book, commonly known today as 4 Maccabees, which Christian tradition erroneously ascribed to Josephus (for the reasons to reject that attribution see Anderson 1985, 532). In fact, this Latin edition of Josephus was the first to include 4 Maccabees in Josephus' Opera. Its text of 4 Maccabees was edited by the great humanist Desiderius Erasmus (1469-1536), whereas the entire volume itself was edited by Jacob Sobius (1493-1527/8), a native of Cologne and one of its most prominent humanists. Like others at that time, he was suspected and accused of heterodoxy by the city's theologians (Zika 2003, 110; 119-120).
The section that contains the favorable testimony about Jesus, known as the Testimonium Flavianum, in book 18 of the Antiquities, is set apart in this edition and given its own sub-heading. Nevertheless, despite the overwhelming abundance of marginalia in this book (for which, see the separate section), there is no marginalia next to the Testimonium Flavianum, nor is there any significant marginalia in other sections particularly important for Christianity, such as the mention of John the Baptist (also in book 18 of Antiquities) and the story of the execution of James, brother of Jesus (in book 20).
Bibliographic Information
Title:
Flauii Iosephi Hebraei historiographi clariss. opera: ad multorum codicum latinorum ... castigata interprete Ruffino presbytero ; de insigni Machabaeorum martyrio liber unus ... castigatus ab Erasmo Roterodamo, nunquam antehac praedictis additus.
Imprint:
Apud sanctam Vbiorum Coloniam Agrippinam [Cologne]: In aedibus Eucharii Ceruicorni, Anno M. D. XXIIII
Language:
Latin
Editors:
Jacob Sobius
Anton Cornelius
Desiderius Erasmus
Physical description:
[30], 347, [1] leaves ; 33 cm.
Imprint notes:
With woodcut title page border depicting Hercules' labors; woodcat borders also on A2r[1st] and F1r (initial page for De Bello Iudaicorum); and woodcut decoartions on initial letters of each book.
Contents:
Index -- (signature A iiii)
Errata -- (signature D6)
Antiquitatum Iudaicorum [Jewish Antiquities] -- 1
De bello Iudaico [Jewish War] -- 227
Contra Appione[m] apologetici [Against Apion] -- 326(verso)
De insigni Machabaeorum martyrio liber unus [4 Maccabees] -- 341
Signatures:
A–C8, D6, a–z8, A-D8, E10, F-T8, V10
Colophon:
Excusa sunt haec opera apud Cologne, in aedibus Eucharij Ceruicorni, impendio & aere industrii uiri Godefridi Hittorpii ciuis Co Ioniensis. Anno M.D. XXIIII Calendis Februariis.
Imperfections:
Leaves 327-331, 337-340(verso) with the heading "De Bello Ivdaico" instead of "Contra Appionem."
Errors in foliation; e.g., leaf 27 erroneously numbered 37, 39 as 40, 46 as 64.
Copy specific notes:
With contemporary binding. Tawed pigskin stamped in blind over wooden boards, on 6 bands, with covered edges and [broken] metal clasps.
Front cover detached.
CRRS call number:
DS116 .J7 1524
References
Anderson, H. (1985). "4 Maccabees." Pp. 531-564, in James H. Charlesworth (ed.), The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, vol. II. New York: Doubleday.
Zika, Charles. (2003). Exorcising our Demons: Magic, witchcraft, and visual culture in Early Modern Europe. Studies in Medieval and Reformation thought 91. Leiden: Brill.