Diaspora

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What was life like for Jews in the Mediterranean during Classical antiquity, and how did they fit into the diverse Greek and Roman civilization? In a detailed examination of the Jewish diaspora from Alexander the Great's conquest to the Roman destruction of the Jewish Temple in 70 C.E., Erich Gruen presents surprising insights. By the first century, Jews living abroad significantly outnumbered those in Palestine, with substantial communities across the Greek mainland, Asia Minor, the Tigris-Euphrates valley, Egypt, and Italy. Gruen particularly focuses on Alexandria, Greek cities in Asia Minor, and Rome, exploring the challenges these communities faced, the institutions they built, and their adaptation strategies. He also examines Jewish writing from this period, revealing how Jews in the diaspora perceived themselves. The narrative depicts a Jewish minority comfortable in Greco-Roman society, experiencing only occasional harassment. Their intellectuals engaged with Greco-Roman culture while reshaping it for their own needs, displaying confidence in an alien environment. Gruen's innovative analysis of historical and literary records reshapes our understanding of this vibrant minority culture's interaction with the dominant Classical civilization.