Jewish Life and Thought among Greeks and Romans: Primary Readings

481 Pages·1996·27.34 MB·English

by  Louis H. Feldman

Jewish Life and Thou
among Greeks and Romans
Zodiac, mosaic floor, Hammath Tiberias synagogue, fourth century.
Jewish Life and Thought
among Greeks and Romans
PRIMARY READINGS
Edited and Introduced by
LOUIS H. FELDMAN
and
MEYER REINHOLD
T&T CLARK
EDINBURGH
Copyright © Augsburg Fortress, 1996
Published in the United States of America by
Augsburg Fortress
426 S. Fifth Street, Box 1209
Minneapolis, MN 55440
This edition published under licence from Augsburg Fortress by
T&T Clark Ltd
59 George Street
Edinburgh EH2 2LQ
Scotland
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise,
without the prior permission of T&T Clark Ltd.
First published 1996
ISBN 0567 08525 2
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Typeset by Waverley Typesetters, Galashiels
Printed and bound in Great Britain by Biddies Ltd, Guildford
Contents
Acknowledgments xiii
Preface xv
Sources xix
Abbreviations
Books and Periodicals xxxv
Names of Translators xxxviii
List of Illustrations xli
Maps
Palestinian Sites xlii
The Eastern Mediterranean and the Near East xliii
1 THE GREEKS DISCOVER THE JEWS 1
Alexander (356-323 BCE) and the Jews 1
Rights Given by Alexander to Jews in Alexandria 4
Earliest References to the Jews in Greek Literature 5
Herodotus 5
Aristotle 6
Theophrastus 7
Hecataeus ofAbdera 7
(Pseudo-)Hecataeus 10
Megasthenes 12
Hermippus of Smyrna 13
Antonius Diogenes 13
2 THE BEGINNINGS OF HELLENIZATION IN EGYPT 17
The Septuagint 17
Hellenization of the Jews in Egypt in the Third
and Second Centuries BCE 22
Legal and Business Affairs 22
The Tobiads 23
The Evidence from the Papyri 27
Jews as Soldiers 33
v
vi Contents
Everyday Life of the Jews in Egypt 33
Complaint of a Wife 33
A Divorce 34
Athletics 34
The Theater 36
Jewish Literary Activity in Egypt 37
Demetrius 37
Philo the Epic Poet 38
Artapanus 39
Ezekiel the Tragedian 40
Jewish Philosophers in Egypt: Philo 42
Jewish Scientists in Egypt: Maria the Jewess 46
Education of the Jews in Egypt 46
The Religious Life of the Jews in Egypt 47
Synagogues 47
The Temple of Onias in Leontopolis 49
Mysticism 51
Deviations in Interpretation of the Bible 52
Intermarriage 54
Apostasy 55
Social Life in Egypt 57
The Position of Women 57
3 JEWISH LIFE IN OTHER COUNTRIES OF THE DIASPORA 61
Jews in Cyrenaica (Libya) 61
Jews in Greece and the Aegean 62
Jews in Syria 64
Jews in Italy 64
From the Jewish Catacombs in Rome 65
From Elsewhere in Italy 67
Synagogues in the Roman Empire 67
Greek Influence in Jewish Art 72
4 PRO-JEWISH ATTITUDES BY GOVERNMENTS 77
Syria 77
Asia Minor 79
Egypt 80
Rome 81
Julius Caesar (100-44 BCE) 81
Publius Dolabella (ca. 70-43 BCE) 82
Mark Antony (ca. 83-30 BCE) 83
Augustus (ruled 27 BCE-14 CE) 83
Marcus Agrippa (64/63-12 BCE) 86
Publius Petronius, Roman Governor of Syria (40 CE) 87
Contents vii
Claudius (Roman Emperor, 41-54 CE) 89
Trajan (Roman Emperor, 98-117 CE) 92
Hadrian (Roman Emperor, 117-38 CE) 93
Commodus (Roman Emperor, 180-92 CE) 94
Elagabalus (Roman Emperor, 218-22 CE) 95
Alexander Severus (Roman Emperor, 222-35 CE) 96
Constantine the Great (Roman Emperor, 307-37 CE) 97
Julian (Roman Emperor, 360-3 CE) 97
Valentinian I (Roman Emperor, 364-75 CE) 99
Theodosius I (Roman Emperor, 3 79-95 CE) 99
Arcadius (Roman Emperor, 383-408 CE) 100
Honorius (Roman Emperor, 393-423 CE) 101
5 PRO-JEWISH ATTITUDES BY INTELLECTUALS 105
Illustrious Origins of the Jews 105
Praise of Moses 107
Praise of Jewish Theology 108
Wisdom of the Jews 113
Knowledge of Astronomy 114
Knowledge of Medicine 115
Magic 116
Rhetoric 116
Military Prowess and Bravery 117
Justice 119
Piety 119
Charity 120
6 CONVERSION TO JUDAISM 123
Forcible Conversion 124
How Converts Were Won 126
The Conversion of the Royal Family of Adiabene 126
Positive Reactions to Proselytism 127
Rabbinic Sources 128
Negative Reactions to Conversion 131
Legal Reactions against Proselytism 133
7 "SYMPATHIZERS" ("GOD-FEARERS") 137
Evidence from Pagan Writers 138
Evidence from Jewish Writers 139
Evidence from Inscriptions 142
The Sambathions 144
Reaction against "Sympathizers" 145
viii Contents
8 THE JEWS IN PALESTINE 147
Establishment of an Independent State under the
Hasmoneans (164-63 BCE) 147
The Hasmonean Rulers 153
International Diplomacy of the Hasmonean Dynasty 160
Treaty with Rome (161 BCE) 160
Jewish Negotiations with Sparta (ca. 250 BCE) 163
Jewish Negotiations with Pergamum (ca. 213 BCE) 166
Client State of Rome 167
Pompey's Capture of Jerusalem (63 BCE) 167
The Aftermath of Pompey's Intervention 169
Herod (King of Judaea 37-4 BCE) 170
Disorders after the Death of Herod 176
The End ofArchelaus' Rule 177
Temporary Restoration of a Jewish King: Agrippa I,
King of Judaea (ruled 41-4 CE) 178
Anti-Roman Sentiment among the Jews 180
Taxes Imposed by the Romans upon the Jews of Palestine 186
Pro-Roman Sentiment among the Rabbis 189
Populousness of the Jews 191
Wealth of the Jews 195
Economic Inequalities 197
Social Life of Palestinian Jews 197
The Status of Women 197
Children 203
Education 203
Moral Life: Charity 205
Religious Life of Jews in Palestine 205
The Temple and the Priesthood 205
The Sanhedrin 211
The 'Amme Ha-aretz 216
Belief in a Messiah 219
Belief in a Last Judgment and an Afterlife 223
Folklore, Astrology, and Magic 225
Hellenization in Palestine 226
Graeco-Jewish Writers 227
Eupolemus 227
Pseudo-Eupolemus 228
Cleodemus Malchus 229
Theodotus 229
Herod 230
Josephus 231
The Rabbinic Attitude: Prohibition of the Study of Greek
Wisdom (63 BCE) 232
Contents ix
Rabbinic Attitude toward Attendance at Sporting Events and
Theaters 233
Hellenization in Tombstone Inscriptions 234
Hellenization in Letters 235
Hellenization in Legal Documents 235
Sectarianism among Jews 236
Samaritans 237
Pharisees 240
Sadducees 243
Essenes 244
Therapeutae 253
Dead Sea Sect 255
The Fourth Philosophy and Other Revolutionary Groups 259
REVOLTS OF THE JEWS AGAINST THE ROMAN EMPIRE 265
The First Jewish Revolt (66-73/4 CE) 265
Prophecies of the Revolt 267
The Proposed Plan of Resistance 268
The Course of the Revolt 269
The Destruction of the Temple 279
The Fall of Masada 282
The Aftermath of the Revolt 285
The Fiscus Judaicus 289
The Lukuas-Andreas Rebellion (War of Quietus) (115-17 CE) 290
The Bar Kochba Rebellion (132-5 CE) 295
Bar Kochba Letters 301
10 CRITICISM AND HOSTILITY TOWARDS JEWS 305
Persecution by Governments and by the Masses 306
Ptolemy IV Philopator (reigned 221-203 BCE) 306
Antiochus Epiphanes (reigned 175-164 BCE) 307
Ptolemy VIII Physcon (Euergetes II) (reigned 145-116 BCE) 312
Expulsion of the Jews from Rome (139 BCE) 313
Ptolemy IX Lathyrus (reigned 116-80 BCE) 314
Popular Hatred (first half of the first century BCE) 315
Cleopatra VII (reigned 51-30 BCE) 315
The Reign of the Roman Emperor Tiberius (14-37 CE) 316
Expulsion of the Jews from Rome (19 CE) 316
Judaea as a Roman Province during the Reign of
Tiberius: Pontius Pilate (procurator, 26-36 CE) 318
The Reign of Caligula (37-41 CE) 321
The Riot of 38 CE in Alexandria 321
The Embassy of the Alexandrian Jews to Caligula
(39/40CE) 325