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Jews and Their Roman Rivals

Pagan Rome's Challenge to Israel
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Language: English
Published/Copyright: 2021

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

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    Frontmatter

    i
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    Contents

    v
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    Illustrations

    xi
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    Maps

    xiii
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    Acknowledgments

    xv
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    Abbreviations

    xvii
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    Note on Translations

    xxi
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    Introduction

    1
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  • Chapter 1 Coping with Empires before Rome: From Assyria to the Hellenistic Kingdoms
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    1. The Neo-Assyrian Empire

    33
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    2. The Neo-Babylonian Empire

    46
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    3. The Persian Empire

    52
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    4. The Hellenistic Kingdoms

    70
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  • Chapter 2 The Unique Challenge of the Roman Empire: A Rivalry between Two Peoples
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    1. The Imperialism of a People

    90
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    2. The “Election” of the Romans

    107
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    3. The “Vocation” of the Romans

    126
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    4. The Roman Victories Over the Jews: Obliteration and Substitution

    150
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    5. Rome as Israel’s Twin Brother and Rival

    163
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  • Chapter 3 The Challenge of Roman Power
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    1. Roman Military Power and Roman Manliness

    181
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    2. A Rivalry for Military Valor?

    201
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    3. Jewish Criticism and Redefinitions of Bravery, Manliness, and Power

    227
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  • Chapter 4 The Challenge of Roman Law and Jurisdiction
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    1. The Nature of the Challenge

    259
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    2. Rabbinic and Roman Law: A Partly Shared Legal Culture?

    276
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    3. A Rivalry of Legal Systems: The Torah versus Roman Jurisdiction

    286
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    4. The Torah as Nonuniversal Law

    316
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  • Chapter 5 The Challenge of Roman Citizenship
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    1. The Nature of the Challenge

    343
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    2. Judaism as “Citizenship”: The Hellenistic Context and the Impact of Rome

    362
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    3. Beyond Citizenship: The Enduring Significance of Lineage and the Legal Fiction of Adoption

    398
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    Conclusion

    429
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    Bibliography

    433
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    Index of Ancient Sources

    493
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Publishing information
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
eBook published on:
January 10, 2022
eBook ISBN:
9780691220420
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
View content
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
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