This work investigates the extent to which the historical accounts of Herod the Great provided by Josephus were shaped by the lost writings of Nicolaus of Damascus. The authors, Benedikt Eckhardt and Kimberley Czajkowski, utilize a source-critical methodology to dissect the relationship between Josephus's 'Jewish War' and 'Jewish Antiquities' and the underlying historiographical traditions of the period. By isolating the influence of Nicolaus, the book constructs a new framework for understanding how Herod's reign was documented and interpreted by subsequent ancient historians.

Scholars in the field of classical history recognize this text as a rigorous contribution to the study of Josephus and the historiography of the Herodian era. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which is intended for researchers and students of ancient history.