It also follows from the aforementioned that any account of Judaism and Judaic
life in the Greco-Roman Diaspora must of necessity end up being a “composite.”That
is to say, often evidence from one locale must be brought together with evidence
from another. How do we know whether such composite descriptions are mere
creations of the scholar in accordance with some preconceived image, preconcep-
tions of which the scholar himself or herself may not be aware? The answer to this
problem is at best partially satisfying. First, the scholar must exhibit awareness of
the problem to begin with, before proceeding to deal with the evidence. Second,
she or he will have demonstrable warrant for bringing pieces of evidence together
from different communities or geographical areas – again a matter of taste and judg-
ment. Such awareness and warrants are founded (1) on understanding the idiomatic
character of the different types of evidence in hand, and (2) upon the articulation
of the conceptual or theoretical models which inform the use of the evidence. Therefore
it is to these matters that I now turn.
The evidence
I should like briefly to give the reader some notion of the type of primary evidence
in hand for elucidating Jewish life and Judaism in the Greco-Roman Diaspora. The
list which follows is far from exhaustive and comprehensive. Nor in a chapter such
as this can I discuss in detail the value and limitations of the various types of evid-
ence. Rather, the account serves to illustrate the variety, diversity and (indirectly, at
least) limitations of the witnesses.Archaeological evidence
Archaeological evidence for Jews and Judaism of the Greco-Roman Diaspora is of
several types. Excavations especially of ancient synagogues and of tombs abound across
Italy, Greece-Macedonia, Asia Minor, and the highly Hellenized northern Levant
and north Africa. Some sites are earlier than the turn of the third century; many
more are third century and later, but stand on sites of earlier synagogues. Many are
simply third century and later (see Levine 2000; Strange 2001). Of the 115 known
ancient synagogues in the Greco-Roman world, 75 are attested by archaeological
remains or inscriptional evidence, and 13 of the 75 are attested by both (see Rutgers
1998: 127–30). In addition to what is gleaned from architectural features and site
locations of synagogues within their respective urban environments, mosaics and
other art and inscriptions provide valuable evidence (see Fine 2005). Synagogue
inscriptions and epigraphic remains (Frey 1936 –52 [1975]; Noy 1993–5; Noy and
Horbury 1992; Noy and Bloedhorn 2004; Noy et al. 2004; Tcherikover and Fuks
1957– 64; Lüderitz 1983) more often than not inform us of benefactors and bene-
factions, and of honors bestowed on Jews, on non-Jewish patrons, and on the
imperial house and its representatives. These inscriptions give honorific and formal-
functional titles for benefactors, giving us some notion of formal roles and institu-
tions within the community (see Harland 2003).
Tomb inscriptions and funerary art are frequent. They proffer information
about names, family relationships, and formal titles, again, giving evidence of formalRoman Diaspora Judaism 349