Who were the Jews of Rome and how does Judaism view the Roman Empire?
We explore the history from their arrival in Rome in the second century BCE as merchants, diplomats and enslaved captives to the growth of eleven communities, and examine the balance between Roman tolerance and restriction: permitted to worship but subject to expulsions
Unknown and unusual is how many non-Jews were attracted to Judaism and became “G-d Fearers”.
Tragically when the empire turned to Christianity in the fourth-century, Jewish legal rights were abruptly removed and attempts at conversion began.
Against this background, the podcast considers Rome’s own political collapse in the fifth century, which reduced a city of hundreds of thousands to a pale shadow.
And we end with Bodo, the ninth-century church deacon who converted from Christianity to Judaism. Illustrating that change remained possible, even after conversion to Judaism had become politically and socially outlawed.
Timestamps:
- 00:00 – Introduction: Rome and Jewish history
- 03:25 – Rome and Jerusalem: Two eternal cities
- 09:00 – The origins and rise of the Roman Empire
- 14:00 – The first Jewish communities in Rome
- 16:20 – Julius Caesar and Roman expansion
- 18:10 – Jewish slaves, merchants, and growing communities
- 20:10 – Roman emperors and Jewish religious freedom
- 25:40 – Conversion to Judaism in ancient Rome
- 31:10 – Destruction of the Second Temple and its aftermath
- 35:10 – Roman persecution and rabbinic delegations
- 41:40 – Jewish citizenship and integration into Roman society
- 44:25 – Constantine and the rise of Christian Rome
- 46:55 – Anti-Jewish legislation and religious restrictions
- 50:20 – The collapse of Rome and its Jewish heritage
- 52:40 – A Christian cleric converts to Judaism
- 54:50 – Ostia and its ancient Jewish synagogue