The more fundamental purpose of this investigation is to determine, with respect to JA I/27 - II/200, both what Jos. has retold and how he has reshaped what he has retold. Both aspects of Jos.' work must be to a certain extent measured against a given set of literary parameters. Such measurement constitutes the second purpose of this investigation. The literary milieu is provided by Targumim, Pseudepigraphic and Midrashic sources. The author wants to show that there is a certain sophisticated manipulating of given details in Jos.' work and that this quality tends to separate him from Targumim and Pseudepigraphic sources and bring him more into the category of a commentator who is using scripture to explain scripture.