One cannot dismiss such evidence by asserting that such Jewish theurgists oper-
ated at the fringes of the Diaspora Jewish community or under condemnation from
Jewish authorities. The anti-Judaic sermons Against the Jewsof John Chrysostom
(late fourth century ce) indicate otherwise. Chrysostom warns his Gentile Christian
parishioners not to frequent Jewish holy men operating in the local synagogueto seek
incantations, amulets, and potions (Meeks and Wilken, 1978: 85–127). All of this
seemingly flies not only in the face of biblical Judaism’s more radical monotheism
but also in the face of explicit biblical injunctions against sorcery (Leviticus 19. 31,
- 6, 20. 27; Deuteronomy 18. 11).
Biblical family law
Our evidence will not allow us to identify the full extent to which biblical family
law was adopted or adapted by Greco-Roman Diaspora Jews. While we might safely
presume that much (like the biblical prohibitions against adultery and consan-
guineous marriage) was practiced, we have little or no way of knowing about other
aspects (like levirate marriage). The key element of biblical family law for which Diaspora
Jews were conspicuously known by their non-Jewish neighbors was endogamy. Jews
married other Jews (by birth or by conversion). Again, we know that this was one
of the more salient, observed features of Diaspora Jewish life, because it engendered
comment and criticisms from those pagan writers critical of Jews and Judaism (e.g.
Tac. Hist.5.1–13, esp. 5.5.1–2). For the latter, Jews “stuck to themselves” or were
out-and-out misanthropes. Since we know that Jews did indeed participate exten-
sively and intensively in the life of their urban settings (a point to be discussed at
length later), I believe the charge of misanthropy to largely reflect the Diaspora Jewish
penchant for endogamy.
Furthermore, there is sufficient evidence to suggest that Jews continued to do
what was necessary to continue to perpetuate the priestly caste (and presumably the
levitical caste as well) – yet another instance of some sort of observance of biblical
family law. Paul encounters members of the priestly caste in Asian Jewish com-
munities, including the sons of one “chief priest,” Sceva. Both Sceva and his sons,
it seems, quamembers of the priestly caste, enjoyed elevated status and authority
(and, according to Acts 19. 12–20, were perceived by others to possess some degree
of theurgic power).
As a matter of note, Jews in the Greco-Roman Diaspora seem to have practiced
monogamy (like their Latin and Greek neighbors), although biblical law permits
polygamy, which some Middle Eastern Jews continued to practice.
Biblical life-cycle law
As with family law, we do not know the full repertoire of biblically inspired life-cycle
rites practiced by Greco-Roman Jews. However, male circumcision figures promi-
nently in a variety of evidence at hand. Again, pagan writers critical of Jews and Judaism
harped regularly on circumcision as an abominable mutilation (Juvenal 14.103– 4;
Tac. Hist.5.5.1–2; Mart. 7.30.5, 7.35.3– 4, 7.82.5– 6, 11.94; M. Stern 1974 – 84:
I. nos. 240, 243, 245; Barclay 1996: 282–319).
362 Jack N. Lightstone