59. Schiller (Gesch. d. Röm. Kaiserreichs, p. 583) denies that Poppæa was a proselyte. It is, indeed, true,
as he argues, that the fact of her entombment affords no absolute evidence of this, if taken by itself; but
comp. Jos. Ant. xx. 8. 11; Life 3.
60. The question of Jewish proselytes will be treated in another place.
In truth, there was no law to prevent the spread of Judaism. Excepting the brief period when
Tiberius61 banished the Jews from Rome and sent 4,000 of their number to fight the banditti in
Sardinia, the Jews enjoyed not only perfect liberty, but exceptional privileges. In the reign of
Cæsar and of Augustus we have quite a series of edicts, which secured the full exercise of their
religion and their communal rights.62 In virtue of these they were not to be disturbed in their
religious ceremonies, nor in the observance of their sabbaths and feasts. The annual Temple-
tribute was allowed to be transported to Jerusalem, and the alienation of these funds by the civil
magistrates treated as sacrilege. As the Jews objected to bear arms, or march, on the Sabbath,
they were freed from military service. On similar grounds, they were not obliged to appear in
courts of law on their holy days. Augustus even ordered that, when the public distribution of
corn or of money among the citizens fell on a Sabbath, the Jews were to receive their share on
the following day. In a similar spirit the Roman authorities confirmed a decree by which the
founder of Antioch, Seleucus I. (Nicator),63 had granted the Jews the right of citizenship in all
the cities of Asia Minor and Syria which he had built, and the privilege of receiving, instead of
the oil that was distributed, which their religion forbade them to use,64 an equivalent in money.65
These rights were maintained by Vespasian and Titus even after the last Jewish war,
notwithstanding the earnest remonstrances of these cities. No wonder, that at the death of
Cæsar66 the Jews of Rome gathered for many nights, waking strange feelings of awe in the city,
as they chanted in mournful melodies their Psalms around the pyre on which the body of their
benefactor had been burnt, and raised their pathetic dirges.67 The measures of Sejanus, and
ceased with his sway. Besides, they were the outcome of public feeling at the time against all
foreign rites, which had been roused by the vile conduct of the priests of Isis towards a Roman
matron, and was again provoked by a gross imposture upon Fulvia, a noble Roman proselyte,
on the part of some vagabond Rabbis. But even so, there is no reason to believe that literally all
Jews had left Rome. Many would find means to remain secretly behind. At any rate, twenty
years afterwards Philo found a large community there, ready to support him in his mission on
behalf of his Egyptian countrymen. Any temporary measures against the Jews can, therefore,
scarcely be regarded as a serious interference with their privileges, or a cessation of the Imperial
favour shown to them.
61. 19 a.d.
62. Comp. Jos. Ant. xiv. 10, passim, and xvi. 6. These edicts are collated in Krebs. Decreta Romanor. pro
Jud. facta, with long comments by the author, and by Levyssohn.
63. Ob.280 b.c.
64. Ab. Sar ii. 6.
65. Jos. Ant. xii. 3. 1.