Josephus Flavius (Latin: Flavius Josephus)

Josephus Flavius (c. 37, Jerusalem – c. 95, Rome) a Jewish historian who of high priestly lineages. He participated actively in the political life of the Kingdom of Judea. Subsequently, he defected to the Roman side and adopted the surname Flavius in honor of the ruling Flavian dynasty. He authored several historical compositions: The Jewish War (7 books, originally in Aramaic, later translated into Greek), Jewish Antiquities (20 books, encompassing the chronology from the creation of the world to the outbreak of the Jewish War), the treatise Against Apion (a polemical work directed against the 1st-century Egyptian writer Apion, who maligned the Jewish people), and The Life (an autobiographical work in which Josephus seeks to exonerate himself from charges of treason against his people).

The writings of Josephus constitute an invaluable primary source for investigating the history of the ancient Near Eastern and Mediterranean populations. His works preserve significant notes regarding the Kartvelian tribes. Josephus considers that the biblical Tubalites are the later Iberians (Kartvelians).

In The Jewish War (late 1st century), Josephus records that "the Heniochi and the Colchians, the Tauri and the Bosporans, and generally the nations dwelling around the Pontus and Maeotis, who formerly did not acknowledge even their own sovereigns, are now held in subjection by a force of 3,000 hoplites (infantrymen) and 40 warships." Josephus also preserved historical accounts regarding the incursion of the Alans in the 70s AD.

Sources: გეორგიკა. ბიზანტიელი მწერ­ლების ცნობები სა­ქარ­თვე­ლოს შესა­ხებ, ალ. გამყრელიძისა და ს. ყაუხჩი­­შვი­ლის გამოც., ტ. 1, თბ., 1961.

Literature: ბერძენი მწერლების ცნობები სა­ქარ­თვე­ლოს შე­სა­ხებ, V, თ. ყაუხჩი­­შვი­ლის გამოც., თბ., 1983; ინაძე მ., იბერიისა და ­რომის ურთიერთობა ახ. წ. II ს. პირველ ნახე­ვარში, «საქართვ. მეცნ. აკადემიის ისტო­რიის ინ-ტის შრომები», ტ. 1, თბ., 1955; სა­ქარ­თველოს ისტორიის ნარ­კვევები, ტ. 1, თბ., 1970.

L. Maniava