Louis Feldman - Thought and Writings

Thought and Writings

Feldman is a widely respected antiquities scholar. Robert E. Van Voorst has referred to Feldman as "the dean of Josephan scholars". Paul L. Maier has referred to Feldman as "the ranking Josephus authority".

As a historian, Feldman has dealt primarily with the writings of Josephus and their role within the larger framework of Jewish civilization during the Second Temple Period. Feldmans' works on Josephus have ranged from discussions of historical accuracy to analysis of Josephus’ biblical interpretations. Overall, Feldman views Josephus’ work as key to understanding Jewish life and interactions with Hellenistic culture during the Greco-Roman era. In addition to his work on Josephus, Feldman has published numerous works on the writings of Philo as well as works dealing directly with the nature of Jewish life during antiquity.

Feldman’s works include Scholarship on Philo and Josephus, 1937-1962 (1963), Josephus and Modern Scholarship, 1937-1980 (1984), Jew and Gentile in the Ancient World: Attitudes and Interactions from Alexander to Justinian (1993), Studies in Hellenistic Judaism (1998), and Josephus’ Interpretation of the Bible (1998). Feldman also translated several volumes of the critical edition of Jewish Antiquities. Feldman has contributed extensively to journals in his field, having published approximately 150 scholarly articles. He also served as departmental editor of Hellenistic literature for the first edition of Encyclopedia Judaica and as a contributor to the Encyclopædia Britannica.