Jews and Their Roman Rivals: Pagan Rome's Challenge to Israel

Katell Berthelot; Katell Berthelot

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Jews and Their Roman Rivals

Pagan Rome's Challenge to Israel

Katell Berthelot and Katell Berthelot

Language: English

Published/Copyright: 2021

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About this book

How encounters with the Roman Empire compelled the Jews of antiquity to rethink their conceptions of Israel and the Torah

Throughout their history, Jews have lived under a succession of imperial powers, from Assyria and Babylonia to Persia and the Hellenistic kingdoms. Jews and Their Roman Rivals shows how the Roman Empire posed a unique challenge to Jewish thinkers such as Philo, Josephus, and the Palestinian rabbis, who both resisted and internalized Roman standards and imperial ideology.

Katell Berthelot traces how, long before the empire became Christian, Jews came to perceive Israel and Rome as rivals competing for supremacy. Both considered their laws to be the most perfect ever written, and both believed they were a most pious people who had been entrusted with a divine mission to bring order and peace to the world. Berthelot argues that the rabbinic identification of Rome with Esau, Israel's twin brother, reflected this sense of rivalry. She discusses how this challenge transformed ancient Jewish ideas about military power and the use of force, law and jurisdiction, and membership in the people of Israel. Berthelot argues that Jewish thinkers imitated the Romans in some cases and proposed competing models in others.

Shedding new light on Jewish thought in antiquity, Jews and Their Roman Rivals reveals how Jewish encounters with pagan Rome gave rise to crucial evolutions in the ways Jews conceptualized the Torah and conversion to Judaism.

Author / Editor information

Katell Berthelot is a CNRS Professor of Ancient Judaism at Aix-Marseille University in France. Her books include In Search of the Promised Land? The Hasmonean Dynasty between Biblical Models and Hellenistic Diplomacy.

Reviews

"[An] excellent and generative work."---Christopher S. Atkins, Religious Studies Review --- "A broad and ambitious book. . . . [Jews and their Roman Rivals] will be an important reference point for years to come."---Amit Gvaryahu, Bryn Mawr Classical Review --- "Insightful . . . [Jews and Their Roman Rivals] is a refreshing surprise."---Sara Jo Ben Zvi, Segula --- "Illuminating. . . . Bertholet’s book, a work of erudite scholarship, opens new vistas into an understanding of the events and dynamics that shaped Rome’s relationship with Jews over several centuries."---Sheldon Kirshner, The Times of Israel --- "Destined to constitute one of the main bases of discussion on Jews and Rome for years to come."---Catherine Hezser, Journal for the Study of Judaism --- "Winner of the National Jewish Book Award in Scholarship"

Topics

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	i
Contents Publicly Available Download PDF	v
Illustrations Publicly Available Download PDF	xi
Maps Publicly Available Download PDF	xiii
Acknowledgments Publicly Available Download PDF	xv
Abbreviations Publicly Available Download PDF	xvii
Note on Translations Publicly Available Download PDF	xxi
Introduction Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	1
Chapter 1 Coping with Empires before Rome: From Assyria to the Hellenistic Kingdoms
1. The Neo-Assyrian Empire Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	33
2. The Neo-Babylonian Empire Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	46
3. The Persian Empire Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	52
4. The Hellenistic Kingdoms Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	70
Chapter 2 The Unique Challenge of the Roman Empire: A Rivalry between Two Peoples
1. The Imperialism of a People Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	90
2. The “Election” of the Romans Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	107
3. The “Vocation” of the Romans Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	126
4. The Roman Victories Over the Jews: Obliteration and Substitution Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	150
5. Rome as Israel’s Twin Brother and Rival Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	163
Chapter 3 The Challenge of Roman Power
1. Roman Military Power and Roman Manliness Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	181
2. A Rivalry for Military Valor? Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	201
3. Jewish Criticism and Redefinitions of Bravery, Manliness, and Power Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	227
Chapter 4 The Challenge of Roman Law and Jurisdiction
1. The Nature of the Challenge Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	259
2. Rabbinic and Roman Law: A Partly Shared Legal Culture? Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	276
3. A Rivalry of Legal Systems: The Torah versus Roman Jurisdiction Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	286
4. The Torah as Nonuniversal Law Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	316
Chapter 5 The Challenge of Roman Citizenship
1. The Nature of the Challenge Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	343
2. Judaism as “Citizenship”: The Hellenistic Context and the Impact of Rome Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	362
3. Beyond Citizenship: The Enduring Significance of Lineage and the Legal Fiction of Adoption Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	398
Conclusion Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	429
Bibliography Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	433
Index of Ancient Sources Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	493

Publishing information

Pages and Images/Illustrations in book

eBook published on:

January 10, 2022

eBook ISBN:

9780691220420

Pages and Images/Illustrations in book

https://doi.org/10.1515/9780691220420

eBook ISBN: 9780691220420

Keywords for this book

Jews; Gentile; Israelites; Rabbi; Rabbinic literature; Judea (Roman province); Roman Law; First Jewish–Roman War; Roman Empire; Judaism; Judea; Hellenistic period; Jerusalem Talmud; Roman citizenship; Jewish history; Proselyte; Roman Government; Roman Inquisition; Jewish diaspora; Roman mythology; Midrash; Slavery; Against Apion; Rabbinic Judaism; Law of Moses; Patrician (ancient Rome); Conversion to Judaism; Jewish culture; Hittites; Hippolytus of Rome; Deuteronomist; Messianism; Messiah in Judaism; Masoretic Text; Mishnah; Hillel and Shammai; Judas Maccabeus; Civis romanus sum; Hebrews; Rome and Jerusalem; Deuteronomy Rabbah; Noahidism; Judaizers; Jewish religious movements; Bar Kokhba revolt; Persecution of Christians; Puritans; Bikkurim (Talmud); Tosefta; Leviticus Rabbah; Second Temple Judaism; Haredi Judaism; Protestantism; Imperial cult (ancient Rome); Letter of Aristeas; Marcionism; Alexander Jannaeus; Christianity and Judaism; Jewish Christian; Roman calendar; Pelagianism; Jewish studies; Manichaeism; Kingdom of Judah; Neo-Babylonian Empire; Donatism; Babylonian captivity; Sin offering; Arianism; Maimonides

Audience(s) for this book

For a non-specialist adult audience

Jews and Their Roman Rivals

Overview

About this book

Author / Editor information

Reviews

Topics

Table of contents

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