Within the writings of Flavius Josephus, his autobiographical The Life appears to be written for a non-Judean audience living in Rome. Josephus explains Judean customs and laws, he explains geography of Galilee, Samaria and Jerusalem, and does not assume that his readers understand anything about Judaism. Thus The Life is a rich mine of information about both the Roman Empire at this time and the holiest city for both Jews and Christians: Jerusalem and the surrounding areas. Steve Mason enriches us with both an excellent literal translation and invaluable, insightful, philological, literary, historical, archeological, and sociological commentary. Many scholars take the Works of Flavius Josephus to be the unsurpassed witness to ancient Judaism from the close of the biblical period to the destruction of the temple in 70 C.E. Josephus also holds a special place among scholars of early Christianity and experts on the Roman world.