Flavius Josephus (37-ca. 100 CE) was a priestly aristocrat in Judea; after the war against Rome (66-74 CE) he spent the balance of his life in Rome, where he wrote about the war, Judean history and culture, and his own career, composing four works in 30 volumes. Feldman (classics, Yeshiva U., New York) provides translation and commentary for the first four books of Josephus' 21-volume Judean Antiquities , preceded by an introductory essay. In addition to an extensive bibliography, the text includes six indices: Biblical passages in the four books; ancient texts; names and subjects; geographical place names; Greek, Latin, Hebrew and Aramaic (meanings of Hebrew and Aramaic words), Arabic, and Coptic-Egyptian words; and modern scholars. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)