TION TO THE ROMAN STATE

*The Jews of the Roman empire.* Alexander the Great's conquest of the Near
East had thrown open to the Jews the whole Graeco-Macedonian world, and
Jewish settlements rapidly appeared in all its important commercial
centers. The Jewish colonies were encouraged by the Hellenistic monarchs
who granted them immunity from military service, protection in the
exercise of their religion, and a privileged judicial status in the cities
where they were established. In course of time the number of Jews in these
_diaspora_ became much greater than in Judaea itself. Although the Jews
resident outside of Syria had adopted the Greek language, and were
influenced in many ways by their contact with Hellenistic culture, they
still formed part of the religious community presided over by the High
Priest at Jerusalem, and in addition to the annual contribution of two
drachmas to the temple of Jehovah, every Jew was expected to visit
Jerusalem and offer up sacrifice in the temple at least once in the course
of his life. Moreover, they were active in proselytizing and made many
converts among the Greeks and other peoples with whom they came into
contact. However, their connection with Judaea was purely religious and
not political in character.

The privileged status which the Jews had enjoyed in the Hellenistic states
was recognized by the Romans and was specifically confirmed by Augustus,
although this policy caused considerable dissatisfaction among their Greek
fellow townsmen. Furthermore, in deference to the peculiarity of their
religion, the Jews were not required to participate in the imperial cult.
However, the imperial government made no attempt to foster settlements of
the Jews in the western provinces, and during the early principate the
only considerable Jewish colony west of the Adriatic was that in Rome.
With the exception of Caligula, who tried to force the imperial cult upon
the Jews, the successors of Augustus did not interfere with the Jewish
religion, except to forbid its propaganda. The expulsions of the Jews from
Rome under Tiberius and Claudius were not religious persecutions but
police measures taken for the maintenance of good order within the city.

*Christianity and Judaism.* The Christian religion had its origin in
Judaea as a result of the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, who was
crucified by the Roman authorities in the principate of Tiberius, after
having been condemned for blasphemy by t