Corpus-Paul

["Tsalampouni Ekaterini" <etsalampouni AT hotmail.com>]

Dear Calvin,

 

the expulsion of the Jews from Rome during the reign of Claudius has been the subject of scholarly discussion. Suetonius (Claudius 25,4) and Cassius Dio 60,6,6 mention a tension of the relations between the Rome and the Jews in the city of Rome. According to the first the reason for the expulsion was "impulsore Chresto" which made many scholars speak of trouble between Jews and Christians in Rome because of Christ. Dio though does not mention such a conflict but gives the growing of the Jewish population in Rome as the reason for an edict. The Jews were not banned from the city but were not allowed to meet. In the years before Claudius Jews were sometimes banned from the city. Under Tiberius they were persecuted because of missionary activity for example. I do not think that a tension in relations between Claudius and Agrippa would result into the Jews' being persecuted. The Romans were much more realistic than to create one more trouble. I think that some tumult inside the Jewish community (between Jews and Chistians?) would have worried the emperor. We must not also forget that Claudius faced a much more serious situation in Alexandria and perhaps he was afraid that something similar might happen in Rome as well. Well all these remain in the realms of hypothesis, but I hope that they might give you some clue.

 

Regards

Dr. Ekaterini Tsalampouni

Thessalonica

 

----- Original Message -----

From: Calvin McCain

To: corpus-paul AT lists.ibiblio.org

Sent: Sunday, February 23, 2003 5:25 AM

Subject: Re: [Corpus-Paul]

Acts 18:2
2 And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla; (because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome:) and came unto them.

Hello All:

 

I was wanting some information on the parenthetical remark in the above verse. What was the motive behind such banishment? Was the deteriorated relation between Claudius and Herod Agrippa a source of the expelling? Did he view all Jews as conspirers? Puzzled?????

 

"In His Grip"

Calvin

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