The Assassinations of the Ancient Jewish Sicarii from an Intelligence Analysis Perspective. Josephus Flavius Reexamined

Abstract

The authors recognise that contemporary international terrorism is no different from acts of the terrorist violence of antiquity. The aim of their research is to go beyond traditional historiography and to confront the descriptions of the Jewish Sicarii made by the ancient historian Josephus with the knowledge of modern security science, forensic science, medicine and the tactics of modern cold-steel terrorists . This procedure allows to show the extraordinary organisational prowess (efficiency and effectiveness) of the ancient political and terrorist movement. The authors recognise that this group must have used methods that today could also be described as intelligence and counter-detection. Seen in this way, the part of Josephus' account that has not yet been commented on in the literature in this context raises serious doubts about the details of the cold steel attacks, since they seem to have been well planned, executed, and used in political activity. This was by no means the activity of 'lone wolves'.