The death of Nadab and Abihu According to Josephus

This article studies Josephus’ treatment (in Ant. 3.208-211) of the death of the priests Nadab and Abihu vis-à-vis both its biblical Vorlage, Lev 10,1-7, and the remarks of Philo and rabbinic tradition concerning the episode. In comparison with its biblical source, Josephus’ rewriting, e.g., focuses attention on the character of Aaron and his response to the tragedy, while also eliminating the figures of Mishael and Elzaphan (see Lev 10,4) as those charged with removing the culprits’ remains from the camp. In contrast to Philo, Josephus does not allegorize Nadab and Abihu’s initiative as an act of throwing off the encumbrance of the body that is pleasing to God and leads to their being awarded a heavenly existence. His version likewise does not evidence the theodicean concerns reflected in the rabbis’ remarks on the Leviticus happening, just as it refrains from attributing the long list of crimes to the pair that one finds in rabbinic tradition, and makes no mention of the figure of Elisheba, the wife of Aaron and mother of the two priests, whose grief over their loss is featured in that tradition.