HOW FAR DO THESE ROMAN WRITERS THINK THE JEWS WERE PROSELYTISING? WHY? HOW DO YOU JUDGE THEIR TESTIMONY?

An example of treatment that the Jews faced was documented in a fourth-century epitome by an early first century CE writer Valerius Maximus.  It was Cn. Cornelius who ordered some astrologers to leave Rome and Italy, it was also this same praetor who ‘compelled the Jews, who attempted to infect the Roman customs with the cult of Jupiter Sabazius to return to their homes,’ this expulsion took place in 139BCE. This writer implies that the Jews were actively trying to convert Romans to Judaism and that is why they were expelled from the city. Valerius Maximus would have us believe that the Jews were openly and aggressively trying to proselyte the Romans from paganism. However there is no direct proof such as an eyewitness that this is factual so this testimony is questionable.

Another writer, Josephus, tells how the behaviour of four Jews, who swindled a high ranking Jewish proselyte woman, out of the gold and purple she sent to a temple in Jerusalem caused the entire Jewish population trouble. Instead of taking these gifts to the temple they kept them. It was these four Jewish men who caused a problem for the rest of the Jewish community when, ‘Saturninus, the husband of Fluvia, at the instigation of his wife, duly reported this to Tiberius, whose friend he was, whereupon the latter ordered the whole Jewish community to leave Rome.’ Josephus seems to be implying that the Jewish proselytising is not such a crisis for the Romans rather it is the character of the four Jews which caused the problem. Josephus account seems to have a more accurate description on the amount of proselytising that was actively going on in Rome at that time and can be trusted as a more accurate testimony.

It is Dio Cassius that gives the reason as to why Tiberius banished the Jewish people and that reason is that the Jews were gathering in large numbers and therefore threatening the way of life for the Roman people and their religion by converting so many of the Romans. ‘As the Jews had flocked to Rome in great numbers and were converting many of the natives to their ways, he [Tiberius] banished most of them.’ The Jewish proselytising to Dio Cassius seems to have reached a critical point for the pagan community.

Although Tiberius does not state that it was because of Jewish proselytising that the Jews were banished although it does show that there was proselytising happening in Rome at the time.

Suetonius also writes that it is because of the Jews constant disturbances that they were expelled, ‘Since the Jews constantly made disturbances at the instigation of Chrestus [impulsore Chresto], he expelled them from Rome. 

The Roman authorities became vigilant in the amount of Jews that gathered together believing that they were a threat to public order. The Jews were expelled out of Rome at least three times due to what the Romans perceived as Jewish poor conduct.

While most Roman writers do not appear to be openly hostile to the Jews some seem to have ulterior motives for wanting to have the Jews persecuted for proselytising. Take for example the way Cicero appeals to the anti-Jewish sentiment when he defended Lucius Valerius Flaccus in 59BCE who refused to send gold to the Jews in Rome from Asia, ‘to resist this barbaric superstition was an act of firmness, to defy the crowd of Jews when sometimes in our assemblies they were hot with passion, for the welfare of the state was an act of the greatest seriousness.’ 

Cicero was not the only writer who used anti-Semitism feelings to stir up hostile against the Jews, another such writer was Seneca where he ‘censures the sacred institutions of the Jews, especially the Sabbath.’ He gives the impression that the Jews were proselytising vigorously throughout Rome, he may even have seen some proselytising. Seneca portrays the Jewish population as a threat to the Roman Empire and their beliefs. ‘Meanwhile the customs of this accursed race have gained such influence that they are now received throughout all the world.’ Seneca has a clear hostility towards the Jews and could be over stating the amount of proselytising.

 Because there was a great aversion to the Jews some of these testimonies have to be examined closely and the motives questioned. Perhaps the Jews were hated and hounded because they did not participate in pagan ceremonies or perhaps it was because they were monotheists that the Roman government distrusted them and while there would have been some proselytising but no more than any other religion.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Harding, M (2003): Early Christian Life and Thought in Social Context: New York

HST 250 Readings Week 2: Seneca, ob. AD 64, On Superstition, cited by Augustine, early Vc, On the City of God 6.11 = Stern, no. 186