who adhered to Jewish practices. Hybrid cases are also attested, as that of
a certain Moschios, son of Moschios, who is mentioned in an inscription
erected at Oropus, Greece, in the temple of Amphiaraos (CIJ1:82); he calls
himself a Jew but mentions the instructions he received in a dream from
the gods Amphiaraos and Hygieia. For Jews to live in a deeply Hellenized
milieu and maintain their Jewish identity over generations was certainly a
challenge.The Jews under Roman Rule
Religious Freedom
No significant change took place when the Romans conquered the East.
The Roman government had a conservative character that tended to pre-
serve the existing frameworks. In Judea, a decree issued by Julius Caesar al-
lowed the Jews to live according to their ancestral laws and customs (JRRW
1), possibly confirming a decree issued by Pompey after the conquest of Je-
rusalem in 63b.c.e.that has not been preserved.
Religious freedom was also granted to Diaspora Jews. From Josephus’s
narrative and from a number of documents quoted by him, we learn that
in different centers of the Mediterranean the Jews were allowed to follow
Jewish law, assemble, perform their rites on Sabbaths and festivals, send
their contributions to the Temple in Jerusalem, have autonomous internal
administration and jurisdiction, build sacred and profane buildings, and
have kosher food in the local markets.
The right to follow Jewish customs and laws, however, was by no
means stable or permanent. In 38c.e., Emperor Caligula’s desire to impose
his own worship on all his subjects encouraged the Gentile population of
Yavneh (Jamnia) in Judea to set up an altar to him. This altar was promptly
destroyed by the Jews, an act to which Caligula responded by ordering a
golden statue of himself to be set up in the Jerusalem Temple. His purpose
was probably to stress his power over the Judean population, but for the
Jews it was a serious infringement of religious freedom; a statue in the
Temple would have polluted it and automatically suspended its cult.
Thanks to the successful delaying tactics of the local Roman governor and
to the assassination of the emperor early in 41c.e., the statue was not set
up, but the incident shows that Jewish religious rights were intrinsically
precarious.373Jews among Greeks and RomansEERDMANS -- Early Judaism (Collins and Harlow) final text
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