© Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2013 DOI: 10.1163/18750214-12341241 Zutot 8 (2011) 81-94 ZUTOT: Perspectives on Jewish Culture brill.com/zuto JOSEPHUS, PUBLICATION, AND AUDIENCES: A RESPONSE Steve Mason University of Aberdeen Abstract In Zutot 6 (2009), Luuk Huitink and Jan Willem van Henten presented the journal’s readers with an effort to advance the discussion of Josephus’ ancient audiences, by challenging my interpretation of Josephus’ work, which has taken into account scholarship on book produc- tion in first-century Rome. Since they misreported my work, and ignored the only essay I have devoted to the subject, their essay misfired. I am grateful to the editors of Zutot for a chance to correct their misrepresentation. Keywords Flavius Josephus; book production; first-century Rome; Jews in ancient Rome In Zutot 6 (2009), Luuk Huitink and Jan Willem van Henten (hereafter H/vH) published an essay on Flavius Josephus’ audiences. They con- cluded: [P]ublishing practices in Josephus’ time . . . are not only driven by the oral recitations of an author in front of a limited audience. . . . In keeping with this conclusion, we would argue that the question of Josephus’ first audi- ences should be approached with an open mind. 1 With this no reasonable person could disagree. For their negative con- clusions to have any force, however, others must have argued that ancient practices were driven exclusively by oral recitations before limited audi- ences, and advocated a closed-minded approach. Since these views would be absurd, the reader will understand my surprise on discover- ing that I was alleged to be their champion and that my work was the 1 L. Huitink and J.W. van Henten, ‘The Publication of Flavius Josephus’ Works and their Audiences,’ Zutot 6 (2009) 49–60, esp. 60.