of Gentiles entering into Jewish society in some fashion is incontrovert-
ible. This did not require conversion — nor necessarily an abandonment
of previous identity and associations. It might take the form of imitating
the Jewish way of life up to a point, like observing the Sabbath, or adopting
certain codes of behavior, or taking part in synagogue activities, or provid-
ing material support for the Jewish community. The Jews did not turn
such people away.
We hear of several non-Jews who held Judaism in high esteem and
showed genuine interest in it. The Gospel of Luke mentions a Roman cen-
turion at Capernaum as one who loved Jews and had built them a syna-
gogue. According to Philo, the Roman prefect of Syria had gained familiar-
ity with Jewish philosophy and piety. Josephus indicates in several contexts
the attraction of eminent women to Judaism, including even the wife of
the emperor Nero. Gentile reverence for Jewish laws and mores appears
with some frequency in Josephus’s works.
Indeed, if Josephus is to be believed, pagans everywhere included ob-
servers of the Sabbath, people who adopted Jewish dietary practices, or
those who attempted to imitate the Jews in their internal concord, their
philanthropy, their skill in the crafts, and their adherence to the Law even
under duress. Philo makes a similar claim, asserting that almost all people,
especially those who place a premium upon virtue, pay homage to Jewish
laws. The Jewish authors, to be sure, are hardly unbiased witnesses. But
their statements, however exaggerated and embroidered, do not arise out
of the void.
Non-Jewish sources supply corroboration. The Roman satirist Juv-
enal, writing in the early second centuryc.e., refers in sardonic fashion to
the appeal that Jewish practices have in Rome. He alludes to fathers who
revere the Sabbath and follow Jewish dietary restrictions. Their sons then
go further: they worship a deity of the sky, draw no distinction between
consuming swine’s flesh and cannibalism, and even engage in circumci-
sion. A very different text, the Christian book of Revelation, composed
about the same time, denounces those who falsely claim to be Jews but are
not so. This may refer to Gentiles who have adopted Jewish behavior and
institutions — without becoming Jews.
Such persons seem even to have a name. “God-fearers” serves as the
conventional designation (even if not technical terminology) for Gentiles
seriously drawn to an association with Judaism or the Jewish community.
The Acts of the Apostles contain several references to “those who fear
God” or “those who revere God,” denoting Gentiles who were closely and111Judaism in the DiasporaEERDMANS -- Early Judaism (Collins and Harlow) final text
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