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Josephus’s most elaborate description of all concerns Jerusalem and its temple (BJ 5.136–247). Jerusalem is not only of central importance for thematic reasons (Tuval 2013), but the city also forms the center of Josephus’s geographical system. Unlike other descriptions of cities in Josephus the passage is written in the past tense (cf. BJ 2.188–191; 3.35–58, 70–109, 158–60, 506–521; 4.3–8, 451–475, 476–485, 530–533, 607–615). Probably, Josephus wanted to point out that the city no longer existed during the time of writing (Mader 2000: 155–156; Chapman 2005: 298; Van Henten and Huitink 2012: 210; Gelardini 2014: 89–100). Josephus describes Jerusalem by starting with its periphery and then moving on to the center. He first mentions the geographical setting of the city on two hills as well as the hill on which the temple was built (5.136–141) and then continues to outline the circuit of its three walls with their towers, which are described in great detail (5.142–183). Moving on to the center, the narrator finally turns his attention to the temple itself and the adjacent Antonia fortress (5.184–247; Gussmann 2008: 327). Josephus describes the temple in great detail at the height of its splendor, presumably the way it looked just before it was destroyed. Gradually zooming in, the narrator guides an anonymous witness from the outer court to the inner courts and finally into the sanctuary itself. He ends with a description of the altar, the officiating priests, and even the high priest’s garments. Measurements are given throughout, the functions of each component part are clarified, and the costly materials used are mentioned time and again, with an emphasis on color and the shiny metal surfaces. For example, the exterior of the temple, which “wanted nothing that could astound either mind or eye,” is said “to have appeared to strangers approaching from a distance like a snow-clad mountain,” while people close to it had to avert their eyes because they were blinded by the gleaming gold with which it was covered (5.222–223). The narrative function of the elaborate description of Jerusalem and its temple in book 5 is to enhance the reader’s awareness of what was at stake when the siege of Jerusalem began and of what was lost when the temple burned down because of a fire that might have been caused by the Jews themselves (6.249–253; further discussion: Barnes 2005: 132–135; Rives 2005: 146–148). Josephus apparently wanted to preserve and visualize the memory of Jerusalem and its temple as a detailed monument in writing (Gelardini 2014: 89–100).