reinforce his theme: the Judean nation is singularly happy, Balaam says,
indeed happier than all other nations, because it alone has been granted
God’s providence as an eternal guide (A.J. 4.114). In the future, Balaam
continues, Judeans will dominate the entire earth by population and by
fame (4.115–116). That Josephus fails to mention proselytism here does
not (paceCohen 1987b, 421–22) imply his distaste for conversion. On the
contrary, his continued assertion before interested Gentile readers that
Judeans are uniquely happy would presumably have the effect of encour-
aging conversion.
The sacred writings of the Judeans—notably, those of Moses, Isaiah,
Jeremiah, and Daniel—have predicted the entire course of human history,
and this fact was happily admitted by the famous kings Cyrus, Artaxerxes,
and Alexander. Innocent of Porphyry’s insights into Daniel, Josephus truly
believes that the predictions of the Judean prophets have been verifiably
fulfilled (A.J.10.276–281). He is eager to share this knowledge with his
Gentile readers. He exults also in the fact that Judeans continue to exer-
cise Solomonic powers of exorcism and have the ability to predict the future
(A.J.8.44–49). Thus, although Josephus does incidentally defend Judean
antiquity from current slanders, his defensive strategies serve a more com-
prehensive advocacy of Judean culture.
Conversion in Antiquitates judaicae
Cohen (1987b) is the only critic who has tried to work out a comprehen-
sive picture of Josephus’s attitude toward conversion. In the article in ques-
tion, Cohen does not seek to explain the motives of Antiquitates judaicaeand
Contra Apionem;though in his earlier work Cohen accepted Morton Smith’s
view (1956) that Josephus wrote Antiquitates judaicae andVitain order to
throw in his lot with the rising fortunes of the Pharisees at Yavneh after the
war (Cohen 1979, 148–51, 237–38).
Cohen contends that, of seven instances of conversion recounted in
Antiquitates judaicae,six have strongly negative overtones: three forced con-
versions of neighbouring peoples by the Hasmoneans (A.J.13.257–258,
318–319, 397), two unfortunate conversions to facilitate marriage of Hero-
dian women (20.139, 145), and the conversion of Fulvia, who was duped
by some Judean charlatans (18.81–84). Cohen concedes (1987b, 421) that
Josephus does look favourably on Gentile adherents to Judaism, as dis-
tinct from converts, who appear in the narrative. Nevertheless, writes
Cohen, “In his [Josephus’s] view, Judaism is not a missionary religion”
(1987b, 423). The zeal for conversion reflected in the seventh episode, con-
cerning the royal house of Adiabene, is therefore peculiar in Antiquitates
judaicae;it should be explained either as Josephus’s careless inclusion of an