It seems to me that no generic distinction can be drawn between these
examples of philosophic protreptic and Josephus’s Contra Apionem.All three
of the sample texts presuppose a benevolent reader in search of happiness.
All of them identify the highest, truest, noblest source of knowledge and
way of life (bios). All of them polemically contrast this most desirable life
with available alternatives (according to Philo of Larissa, refutation of slan-
der was also a standard part of protreptic, though it is not as prominent in
the sample texts as it is in Contra Apionem). And all of them conclude with
either the explicit or implicit prospect of conversion to the way of life that
has just been advocated. If these other texts are admitted as logoi protrep-
tikoi,then Josephus’s Contra Apionemshould be admitted as well. This
generic affiliation would provide support for our assessment based on con-
text and content that Josephus writes to encourage conversion.
CONCLUSION: CONTRA APIONEMIN CONTEXT
My goal in this chapter has been to understand better the aim of Jose-
phus’sContra Apionem.My proposal is that the work means to encourage
potential converts to Judaism. First, I have attempted to reread the work’s
content within its immediate social and literary environment. Conversion
to Judaism was a well-known phenomenon in Rome during the first cen-
turyCE, and attraction to Judean culture continued after the great war. At
the same time, the revolt rekindled anti-Judean sentiments among the
literati, and postwar conditions would necessarily have made conversion to
this way of life more problematic. Josephus’s first literary effort (Bellum
judaicum) aimed to relieve anti-Judean sentiment in Rome and elsewhere.
During the reign of Domitian (81–96 CE), which proved to be even more dif-
ficult for converts to Judaism, Josephus composed a primer in Judean cul-
ture to meet the needs of Gentiles who were eager to learn it. He closed the
Antiquitates judaicae,which presents Judean philosophy as the only sure
path to eudaimonia,with a stirring conversion story.
This social and literary context provides important clues for under-
standingContra Apionem,which Josephus wrote during the reign of Nerva
(most likely) as a sequel to Antiquitates judaicae.It is addressed to the same
interested Gentiles. Josephus now takes the opportunity, while triumphantly
refuting the Judeans’ slanderers, to contrast Judean culture with all oth-
ers, concluding that Judaism is the best possible system of laws under
which one could live. He closes with an extended encomium on the laws,
which once again features the prospect of conversion. The net effect of
Josephus’s remarks should be to make readers dissatisfied with anything
but Judaism. The conclusion seems unavoidable that Josephus wished his