Description
Book SynopsisHow encounters with the Roman Empire compelled the Jews of antiquity to rethink their conceptions of Israel and the TorahThroughout 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 transf
Trade Review"Winner of the National Jewish Book Award in Scholarship"
"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"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"Insightful . . . [
Jews and Their Roman Rivals] is a refreshing surprise."
---Sara Jo Ben Zvi, Segula
