Description
Book SynopsisThe main contribution of this book is that it tries to determine how the Jews answered the challenges of Roman society. Thus, the book presents a refreshing approach to the nature of the Roman attitude toward Judaism and the Jews. In addition, it provides the first detailed examination of the demography and geography of the Jewish communities in Roman Italy. The book also offers a new look at the legal standing of the Jewish communitarian organization. Last but not least, this study also addresses the various facets of the culture of the Jews living in Roman Italy.
Table of ContentsPreface List of Figures About the Author Introduction: The Jews of Roman Italy—A New Study 0.1 What Is Unique 0.2 Methodology 0.3 Primary Sources 0.4 Judeophobia versus Xenophobia 1 The Urban Geography and the Demographic Development of the Jewish Settlement in Imperial Rome: A Diachronic Overview 1.1 The Jewish Settlement during the Republic 1.2 The Jewish Settlement during the Early Empire 1.3 The Jewish Settlement in Late Antiquity 2 The Legal Status of the Jews in Roman Italy 2.1 The Legal Framework of the Jewish Community 2.2 The Legal Framework of the Jewish Community in the Early Empire 2.3 The Legal Framework of the Jewish Community in the Late Empire 2.4 Crossing the Border: Conversion to Judaism 3 Jewish Social Life in Roman Italy 3.1 The Onomasticon of the Jews of Roman Italy 3.2 The Social Spectrum and Occupational Framework of the Jews in Imperial Rome and Ostia 4 Reframing Judaism in Roman Italy 4.1 Jewish Apologetics in Roman Italy 4.2 The Religious Liturgy of the Jews in Roman Italy 4.3 Burying the Dead 4.4 Rediscovering a Nonfigurative Language: Jewish Art in Roman Italy 5 The Jewish Revolt: Jews and Judaism in Roman Imperial Ideology 5.1 Josephus and the Triumph of the Flavians 5.2 The Jewish War, Flavian Ideology, and Rome’s Urban Renewal 6 Conclusion: The History of Jews in Italy Bibliography Index
