So You Need a Dissertation Topic, Installment VI: Josephus as Trickster

“Every good story deserves a bit of embellishment.” So says Gandalf in Peter Jackson’s retelling of The Hobbit (blaspheming at a theater near you). Of course, Gandalf’s words are uttered to meta-narratological effect, of which Tolkien was no stranger.  In other words, the story-teller has placed these words on the lips of the story-teller in the film to justify the creativity that will be employed in the film.  So the character, in this case Gandalf, has transcended the narrative to address the audience directly (sort of like an uber-aside and wink).  Quite clever for a cleaver.

In this installment of “so you need a dissertation topic,” I will suggest a look at Josephus’ autobiographical accounts (in this case, mostly Life and War) from a comparative-mythology perspective.  Much of the work of Steve Mason over the last decade has been to nuance the category of “history” as it is demonstrated by Josephus.  It seems absurd that this is true, but for much of 2000 years, historians have taken Josephus at face value except at points where there are contradictions or “interpolations”.  In other words, we have just assumed more often than not that Josephus is more facts and less revisionist history.  Notice the chief indicator of historical positivism here (I don’t think I’m building a straw-man here, but I can always revise this later if I find out that I am).  But what if Josephus has framed his own story in legendary categories?

For example, Josephus is a boy genius who is schooled in several different religious programs on an accelerated track.  He becomes a brilliant military mind.  He then gets caught on the wrong side of a battle and convinces his countrymen to willingly except slit throats rather than commit suicide.  Only the last person to die will commit the dishonorable act of suicide.  Turns out that Josephus draws the short straw and agrees to die last.  But he and a friend decide simply to surrender in the end. In short, he avoided death and the dishonor of suicide.  He then betrays his country and becomes the prophetic counselor for Vespasian.  Josephus tells the Roman governor that he will someday rule the world and that he, Josephus, will be Vespasian's right-hand man.  This saves his life and he ends up quite comfortably situated as a Roman apologist who attempts to “reason” with his countrymen in Judea.  These details have long been viewed as “tainted” by embellishment.  But here is a good question: is Josephus a villain? an anti-hero? is he heroic because he is a survivor?  This last of these is generally preferable. 

Or, perhaps, Josephus is a trickster.

Tricksters are present in several mythologies. One can find them in Native American and West African myths, in Norse mythology, etc. Tolkien's Bilbo has much in common with the Norse trickster “Loki”.  The film tries to clean this up to make the Hobbit more sympathetic (e.g. Bilbo doesn't pick the pockets of the trolls, etc). Tricksters are like the court jesters of the gods.  They often (but not always) change shape.  And, most importantly, they “trick” those more powerful than them, often to personal expediency.  Please understand, I’m not saying that Josephus is drawing from trickster mythology.  I’m saying that there are some very interesting parallels to be had, including his shifting allegiances and Jedi-mind tricks.  Of course, this thesis does not need for the autobiographical elements in Josephus to be read as mythology.   It just requires a bit of flexibility with the genre of “history”.

-anthony