Matthias (brother of Josephus)
Encyclopedia
Matthias was an ethnic Jew
living in Jerusalem.
Matthias came from a wealthy, aristocratic family and through his father he descended from the priestly order of the Jehoiarib
, which was the first of the twenty four-orders of Priests in the Temple in Jerusalem
. He was the first born son of Matthias
and his wife, an unnamed Jewish noblewoman. He was the full blooded and the older brother of the Roman-Jewish Historian Josephus
. The mother of Matthias was an aristocratic woman who descended royalty and of the former ruling Hasmonean Dynasty.
His paternal grandparents were Josephus
and his wife, an unnamed Jewish noblewoman. The paternal grandparents of Matthias were distant relatives as they were both direct descendants of Simon Psellus
. Through his father, Matthias was a descendant of the High Priest Jonathon. Jonathon may have been Alexander Jannaeus
, the High Priest and Hasmonean ruler who governed Judea
from 103 BC-76 BC. He was born and raised in Jerusalem. Matthias was educated alongside Josephus.
Matthias; his parents and Josephus’ first wife were alive during the First Jewish–Roman War. The war occurred from 66 until 73. In the year 70 during the Roman Siege of Jerusalem
; Matthias, his parents and his sister-in-law, were in the city during the siege. Matthias’ parents and sister-in-law were held as prisoners by the Jewish rebels because they didn’t trust them. Josephus who was commander-in-chief in Galilee
received news through their father about the situation in Jerusalem. Josephus was unable to save their parents and his first wife as the three perished during the siege.
After the capture of Jerusalem, Matthias survived the siege and became a Roman Prisoner of War. Through Josephus’ intervention, Matthias was released from Roman imprisonment. After his prison release, little is known on Matthias. There is a possibility that he may have accompanied Josephus to go and live in Rome
. He was the paternal uncle of Flavius Hyrcanus
, Flavius Justus
and Flavius Simonides Agrippa
.
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
living in Jerusalem.
Matthias came from a wealthy, aristocratic family and through his father he descended from the priestly order of the Jehoiarib
Jehoiarib
Jehoiarib was the head of a family of priests, which was made the first of the twenty-four priestly divisions organized by King David.- High Priest :...
, which was the first of the twenty four-orders of Priests in the Temple in Jerusalem
Temple in Jerusalem
The Temple in Jerusalem or Holy Temple , refers to one of a series of structures which were historically located on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem, the current site of the Dome of the Rock. Historically, these successive temples stood at this location and functioned as the centre of...
. He was the first born son of Matthias
Matthias (father of Josephus)
Matthias was an ethnic Jew living in Jerusalem.Matthias came from a wealthy family and through his father he descended from the priestly order of the Jehoiarib, which was the first of the twenty four-orders of Priests in the Temple in Jerusalem. He was the son born to Josephus and his wife, an...
and his wife, an unnamed Jewish noblewoman. He was the full blooded and the older brother of the Roman-Jewish Historian Josephus
Josephus
Titus Flavius Josephus , also called Joseph ben Matityahu , was a 1st-century Romano-Jewish historian and hagiographer of priestly and royal ancestry who recorded Jewish history, with special emphasis on the 1st century AD and the First Jewish–Roman War, which resulted in the Destruction of...
. The mother of Matthias was an aristocratic woman who descended royalty and of the former ruling Hasmonean Dynasty.
His paternal grandparents were Josephus
Josephus (grandfather of Josephus)
Josephus was an ethnic Jew living in Jerusalem.Josephus was the son born to Matthias Curtus and his unnamed Jewish wife. He came from a wealthy family and through his father he descended from the priestly order of the Jehoiarib, which was the first of the twenty four-orders of Priests in the...
and his wife, an unnamed Jewish noblewoman. The paternal grandparents of Matthias were distant relatives as they were both direct descendants of Simon Psellus
Simon Psellus
Simon Psellus was an ethnic Jew living in Jerusalem.Simon’s ancestors were contemporary to the rule of the Ptolemaic dynasty and Seleucid dynasty over Judea. He was a wealthy man who served as a priest in the Temple in Jerusalem. Simon belonged to the first of the twenty-four orders of Priests in...
. Through his father, Matthias was a descendant of the High Priest Jonathon. Jonathon may have been Alexander Jannaeus
Alexander Jannaeus
Alexander Jannaeus was king of Judea from 103 BC to 76 BC. The son of John Hyrcanus, he inherited the throne from his brother Aristobulus I, and appears to have married his brother's widow, Shlomtzion or "Shelomit", also known as Salome Alexandra, according to the Biblical law of Yibbum...
, the High Priest and Hasmonean ruler who governed Judea
Judea
Judea or Judæa was the name of the mountainous southern part of the historic Land of Israel from the 8th century BCE to the 2nd century CE, when Roman Judea was renamed Syria Palaestina following the Jewish Bar Kokhba revolt.-Etymology:The...
from 103 BC-76 BC. He was born and raised in Jerusalem. Matthias was educated alongside Josephus.
Matthias; his parents and Josephus’ first wife were alive during the First Jewish–Roman War. The war occurred from 66 until 73. In the year 70 during the Roman Siege of Jerusalem
Siege of Jerusalem (70)
The Siege of Jerusalem in the year 70 AD was the decisive event of the First Jewish-Roman War. The Roman army, led by the future Emperor Titus, with Tiberius Julius Alexander as his second-in-command, besieged and conquered the city of Jerusalem, which had been occupied by its Jewish defenders in...
; Matthias, his parents and his sister-in-law, were in the city during the siege. Matthias’ parents and sister-in-law were held as prisoners by the Jewish rebels because they didn’t trust them. Josephus who was commander-in-chief in Galilee
Galilee
Galilee , is a large region in northern Israel which overlaps with much of the administrative North District of the country. Traditionally divided into Upper Galilee , Lower Galilee , and Western Galilee , extending from Dan to the north, at the base of Mount Hermon, along Mount Lebanon to the...
received news through their father about the situation in Jerusalem. Josephus was unable to save their parents and his first wife as the three perished during the siege.
After the capture of Jerusalem, Matthias survived the siege and became a Roman Prisoner of War. Through Josephus’ intervention, Matthias was released from Roman imprisonment. After his prison release, little is known on Matthias. There is a possibility that he may have accompanied Josephus to go and live in Rome
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
. He was the paternal uncle of Flavius Hyrcanus
Flavius Hyrcanus
Titus Flavius Hyrcanus was an aristocratic, wealthy Roman Jew.Hyrcanus was born and raised in Rome. He was the youngest son born to the Roman Jewish Historian Josephus and from his third wife an unnamed Alexandrian Jewish woman...
, Flavius Justus
Flavius Justus
Titus Flavius Justus was an aristocratic, wealthy Roman Jew.Justus was born and raised in Rome. He was the first son born to the Roman Jewish Historian Josephus and from his fourth wife, a distinguished unnamed Greek Jewish noblewoman from Crete...
and Flavius Simonides Agrippa
Flavius Simonides Agrippa
Titus Flavius Simonides Agrippa, also known as Titus Flavius Agrippa was an aristocratic, wealthy Roman Jew.Agrippa was born and raised in Rome. He was the second son born to the Roman Jewish Historian Josephus and from his fourth wife, a distinguished unnamed Greek Jewish noblewoman from Crete...
.
Sources
- Josephus’ Lineage
- M. Fergus, S. Emil & V. Geza, The History of the Jewish People in the Age of Jesus Christ (175 B.C. - A.D. 135), Continuum International Publishing Group, 1973
- É. Nodet, A search for the origins of Judaism: from Joshua to the Mishnah, Continuum International Publishing Group, 1997
- W. Whiston & P.L. Maier, The new complete works of Josephus By Flavius Josephus, Kregel Academic, 1999
- F. Josephus & S. Mason, Flavius Josephus: translation and commentary, BRILL, 2001