Albinus is portrayed very differently in Josephus' two accounts. In Antiquities he is given a more positive biographical sketch. Here Josephus writes, "When Albinus reached the city of Jerusalem, he bent every effort and made every provision to ensure peace in the land by exterminating most of the sicarii [a tribe of bandits]" (Ant. 20.9.2). This is about the only positive spin put on his reign anywhere in the extant ancient sources. Elsewhere in the Antiquities Josephus notes that Albinus made a deal with leaders of the sicarii to perform a hostage swap. He then ominously notes, "This was the beginning of greater troubles" (Ant. 20.9.3).

While Albinus was still en route to Judaea an event that is important in Christian history occurred. The high priest of the temple, Annas (who is familiar to readers of the gospels as an antagonist of Jesus), capitalizes on the moment between Festus' and Albinus' administration to convene the Sanhedrin (which usually required the concent of the procurator) and to stone Jesus' brother James to death, along with several others. People who were upset by this violation of the law traveled to Albinus, who was on his was from Alexandria. Albinus wrote a threatening missive to Annas, but before he could get to Judaea King Agrippa had deposed of Annas.

Finally, Josephus notes in the Antiquities that Albinus filled the countryside with criminals near the end of his term by freeing all those who he did not deem to be deserving of death. The rest of the prisoners he had executed.

The War's version of Albinus' reign is one of corruption and lawlessness that leads directly to the final Jewish revolt against Roman rule in A.D. 66-70. He forbodingly notes, "[T]he seeds of the coming destruction were being sown in the City" (War 2.14.1). Josephus also says that Albinus is "guilty of every possible misdemeanor" (War 2.14.1), and says that he was easily bribed by leading revolutionaries.

Josephus also tells of a strange incident that occurred during Albinus' administration: A peasant from the countryside apparently went insane when he was at a feast at the Temple. He began yelling, "A voice from the east, a voice from the west, a voice from the four winds, a voice against Jerusalem and the Sanctuary, a voice against bridegrooms and brides, a voice against the whole people" (War 6.5.3). This guy, Jeshua, was then beaten by Jewish authorities, but during the whole ordeal he never ceased uttering his ominous words and never said anything in his own defense. "The Jewish authorities, rightly concluding that some supernatural force was responsible for the man's behavior, took him before the Roman procurator" (War 6.5.3). There, the the centurions beat him some more, "until his flesh hung in ribbons." Albinus then asked him who he was and where he was from, but he said nothing, other than "Woe to Jerusalem!" At that point, Albinus deemed him "insane" and free to go. A worrisome portent this incident was.

Whether it was his fault or not, it is evident is that during Albinus' administration Judaean affairs went from bad to worse. Nero later assigned Albinus to be governor of Mauretania Caesariensis. When Nero died and the empire was thrown into turmoil as to who would be the next emperor, Albinus backed Otho, one of the imperial contenders. Albinus may have had aspirations of his own. Perhaps as a statement of independence, he rid himself of the Roman title of governor, and took on instead "Juba" the name of the last independent king of Mauretania Caesariensis (Histories 2.58). In the general melee, the long-time civil servant Albinus and his wife were assassinated, possibly for political reasons (Histories 2.59).

Ancient sources:Antiquities 20.9.1-3, 20.9.5, 20.11.1; War 2.14.1-2, 6.5.3; Histories 2.58-59.