The Jewish Community in Italy Essay -- Jews Europe History Papers

The Jewish Community in ItalyProblems with format For centuries, there has been a Jewish community in separate of present-day Italy, dating back to the roman type Empire. In addition to sacred differences, Jews were faced with political challenges as well. The Emperor was included in the pantheon of papistic tradition, which added a political obligation to religious, and thus Roman citizens were required to ? lull the gods.? For Jews, this require ment created many consequences.1 According to estimates, there were five to seven million Jews in the Roman Empire during this time. The relations between the Jews and the Romans have evermore been complicated. For in 186 B.C. measures were taken against the Bacchanalia, but in 161 B.C., a friendly conformity was made with the Maccabees. In 139 B.C., the Jews were banished from Rome, yet Julius Caeasar gave Jews privileges, allowing them to meet on the Sabbath and settle their religious disputes privately. Despite the ambiguous tre atment of the Jews, the Romans usually blamed the Jews for any throw out of kilter in the Empire. Ancient writers, Josephus and Tacitus, discussed the Jews banishment from Rome in 19 C.E.? The Roman senate also sent 4,000 Jewish men to Sardinia to put down an develop there. Though the harsh climate could potentially kill the men, it was but a small loss to the Roman government.2 Modern historians assume that the Tiberius? reason for the banishment was a ?deep-seated animosity against the Jews fostered by their reputation for exclusiveness and their supposition of superior righteousness.?3 Yet, Josephus attributed the cause to a ?worthless? Jew from Judea and three other men who persuaded Fulvia, a Roman woman, to give goods for the Jerusalem temple, but use... ...?Narrating over the ghetto of Rome. (Jews in Italy.)? Jewish Social Studies. (Winter-Spring (2002) 1.16 Elizabeth Mahler Schachter. ?Perspectives of nignteenth-century Italian Jewry.? Journal of European Studies. ( March 2001) 29.17 Gene Bernardini. ?The Origins and breeding of Racial Anti-Semitism in Fascist Italy.? The Journal of Modern History. (Sept, 1977) 431-453.18 Shira Schoenberg. ? pontiff Pius XII and the Holocaust.? Jewish Virtual Library. 26 November 2003. 19 Barry Lank. ?Decency in Italy played single-valued function in helping nation?s Jews.? Bulletin. April 19, 1996.20 Gerald Schwartz. ?Assisi 2002 an encounter with history.? Canadian Jewish News. Sept. 5, 2002.21 Frank Bruni. ?Nearly 40 Jewish Graves are assault in a Rome Cemetery.? The New York Times. July 19, 2002 A.