An Outside Witness: Josephus, the Magi, and the Persian Court
A standalone piece Josephus had no stake in the antiquity or prestige of the Magi. He was a first-century Jewish historian, recounting the Persian succession on the way to the story he cared about — the return from exile and the rebuilding of the Temple. That is exactly what gives one of his lines its weight. In passing, with nothing to prove, he records the Magi as an institution powerful enough to seize the throne of the Persian empire.
What this resource contributes
A standalone piece Josephus had no stake in the antiquity or prestige of the Magi. He was a first-century Jewish historian, recounting the Persian succession on the way to the story he cared about — the return from exile and the rebuilding of the Temple. That is exactly what gives one of his lines its weight. In passing, with nothing to prove, he records the Magi as an institution powerful enough to seize the throne of the Persian empire. A witness who sets down a fact against no agenda of his own is among the most credible kinds there is, and on the Magi, Josephus is precisely that.
Topics and source signals
Primary sources detected
Gathas · Avesta · Behistun Inscription
Scholars detected
Mary Boyce · Albert de Jong