About the Book
Most studies of Jews in the period from Alexander to Trajan have concentrated almost exclusively on Jerusalem and Judea. In this book, John Barclay assembles and analyzes evidence about the Jewish communities in Egypt, Syria, Cyrenaica, Rome, and Asia. Barclay's ambitious goal is to describe, as precisely as the evidence allows, the varying levels of assimilation and antagonism between Jews and the non-Jewish communities in these areas for this 440-year period. With a concluding review of Jewish identity in the Diaspora as a whole, this book provides our first comprehensive and multi-faceted survey of Diaspora communities and Diaspora literature.
Table of Contents
Preface
Abbreviations
Chapter 1: Introduction
1.1 A Distinguished People
1.2 Current Study of the Diaspora
1.3 The Scope, Plan and Spirit of This Study
PART ONE: THE DIASPORA IN EGYPT
Chapter 2: Jews in Ptolemaic Egypt
2.1 Immigration and Settlement: From Alexander to
Ptolemy V Epiphanes (323-180 BCE)
2.1.1 Immigration
2.1.2 Settlement in the chora
2.1.3 Settlement in Alexandria
2.2 Prominence and Exposure: From Ptolemy VI
Philometor to Cleopatra VII (180-30 BCE)
2.2.1 Political Developments
2.2.2 Social Developments
Chapter 3: Jews in Roman Egypt: From Augustus to Trajan
3.1 The Alexandrian Pogrom and Its Aftermath
3.1.1 The Alexandrian Pogrom
3.1.2 The Embassies and Claudius' Response
Excursus: The Legal Status of Alexandrian Jews
3.2 Jewish Alienation
3.3 Jewish Revolt
Chapter 4: Jews in a Diaspora Environment: Some Analytical Tools
4.1 Introduction
4.2 'Orthodoxy' and 'Deviation'
4.3 Jews and Hellenization
4.4 Assimilation, Acculturation and Accommodation
4.5 Analysing the Evidence
Chapter 5: Levels of Assimilation among Egyptian Jews
5.1 High Assimilation
5.2 Medium Assimilation
5.3 Low Assimilation
5.4 Unknown Assimilation
Chapter 6: Cultural Convergence
6.1 Artapanus
6.2 Ezekiel
6.3 The Letter of Aristeas
6.4 Aristobulus
6.5 Philo
6.5.1 Philo's Social Context
6.5.2 Mosaic Philosophy
6.5.3 Allegory
6.5.4 Israel and the Human Race
6.5.5 Philo and the Jewish Community
Chapter 7: Cultural Antagonism
7.1 The Wisdom of Solomon
7.2 3 Maccabees
7.3 Joseph and Aseneth
7.4 The Egyptian Sibylline Oracles
Chapter 8: Cyrenaica and Syria
8.1 Cyrenaica
8.2 Syria
8.2.1 The Hellenistic Era
8.2.2 The Roman Era
Chapter 9: The Province of Asia
Chapter 10: Rome
10.1 Republican Rome
10.2 The Augustan Era
10.3 From Tiberius to Claudius
10.4 From Nero to Trajan
Chapter 11: Levels of Assimilation among Diaspora Jews Outside Egypt
11.1 High Assimilation
11.2 Medium Assimilation
11.3 Low Assimilation
11.4 Unknown Assimilation
Chapter 12: Cultural Convergence and Cultural Antagonism Outside Egypt
12.1 Pseudo-Phocylides
12.2 Josephus
12.2.1 Josephus' Social Context
12.2.2 Bellum ludaicum
12.2.3 Antiquitates Iudaicae
12.2.4 Contra Apionem
12.3 4 Maccabees
Chapter 13: Paul: an Anomalous Diaspora]ew
PART THREE: JEWISH IDENTITY IN THE MEDITERRANEAN DIASPORA
Chapter 14: Jewish Identity in the Diaspora: A Sketch
14.1 The Ethnic Bond
14.2 Social and Symbolic Resources
14.2.1 The Local Community
14.2.2 Links with Jerusalem, the 'Homeland' and other Diaspora Communities
14.2.3 The Law/Jewish Scriptures
14.2.4 The Figure of Moses
14.3 Practical Distinctions
14.3.1 Rejection of Alien, Pluralist and Iconic Cult
14.3.2 Separatism at Meals
14.3.3 Male Circumcision
14.3.4 Sabbath Observance
14.4 Conclusion
Appendix on Sources
Bibliography
Index of Main Subjects and Places
Index of References
Index of Modern Authors
