Sign-In
Cart
Ancient Judaism and the Roman Law
Paperback
Religion General JudaismAncient Rome
Publisher: Colloquium Verlag
Published: Mar 12 2026
Pages: 168
Weight: 0.44
Height: 0.36 Width: 5.50 Depth: 8.50
Language: English
Ancient Judaism and the Roman Law offers a sweeping historical exploration of one of the most fascinating legal encounters of the ancient world: the interaction between the sacred legal tradition of Judaism and the powerful juridical system of the Roman Empire. Spanning the centuries from the Roman conquest of Judea in the first century BCE to the transformations of the late Roman Empire, this study reveals how Jewish communities navigated life under imperial rule while preserving the authority of the Torah and the evolving interpretations of rabbinic law.
Through careful analysis of primary sources-including the Hebrew Bible, the Mishnah, the Talmud, the writings of Josephus and Philo of Alexandria, and Roman legal texts such as the Digest and the Theodosian Code-the book reconstructs the complex legal landscape in which Jewish and Roman legal traditions coexisted. It examines key themes such as governance in Roman Judea, the authority of the Temple and priesthood, taxation and economic regulation, criminal justice, family law, diaspora communities, citizenship, and the profound transformations that followed the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE.
Moving beyond simple narratives of conflict or domination, the book shows how Jewish law demonstrated remarkable resilience within the structures of Roman imperial administration. Rabbinic scholarship, communal institutions, and legal interpretation allowed Jewish identity to survive and adapt even as political sovereignty disappeared. At the same time, Roman officials developed policies that acknowledged and sometimes accommodated the distinctive legal traditions of Jewish communities across the Mediterranean world.
Combining historical narrative, legal analysis, and cultural insight, this book presents a vivid portrait of legal pluralism in antiquity. It reveals how two sophisticated legal civilizations-one rooted in imperial governance and the other in sacred covenant-interacted across centuries of shared history.
Written for scholars, students, and general readers interested in ancient history, law, religion, and the origins of Western legal traditions, this book offers a compelling and accessible account of how law shaped identity, power, and community in the ancient Mediterranean world. It is an essential study of the enduring dialogue between empire and faith, demonstrating how the legal traditions of Judaism continued to flourish even within the vast framework of Roman rule.
Also from
Stevens, Dominic
St. Ambrose of Milan and the Definition of the Virtues in De Officiis Ministrorum
Stevens, Dominic
Paperback
The Roots of the Church: Tracing Christianity's Origins in the First Century
Stevens, Dominic
Paperback
In the Fullness of Time: The Roman Empire as Providential Context for the Incarnation
Stevens, Dominic
Paperback
The Forgotten Power of Sacramentals: Rediscovering the Spiritual Weapons of the Church
Stevens, Dominic
Paperback
From Caesar to Christ: The Transformation of Early Christianity From Persecuted Sect to State Religion
Stevens, Dominic
Paperback
The Gospel and the Kingdom: Reading Jesus' Message in Its First-Century World
Stevens, Dominic
Paperback
The Catholic Devotion to the Holy Angels: A Historical and Theological Journey
Stevens, Dominic
Paperback
Heresy, Orthodoxy, and Ecclesiastical Authority in Late Antique Christianity
Stevens, Dominic
Paperback
Peter, James, and Paul: Theological and Political Dynamics in the Early Church
Stevens, Dominic
Paperback
Cosmic and Natural Metaphors in the Bible: Exploring the Heavens and the Earth as Divine Language and Revelation
Stevens, Dominic
Paperback
Also in
Ancient Rome
The Children of Athena: Greek Intellectuals in the Age of Rome: 150 Bc0-400 AD
Freeman, Charles
Hardcover
Ancient Rome at the Cinema: Story and Spectacle in Hollywood and Rome
Theodorakopoulos, Elena
Paperback
The Apostle and the Empire: Paul's Implicit and Explicit Criticism of Rome
Heilig, Christoph
Hardcover
Love Thy Stranger: How the Teachings of Jesus Transformed the Moral Conscience of the West
Ehrman, Bart D.
Hardcover
Cicero's Tongue: The Life of Rome's Greatest Orator and the End of the Republic
Edwards, Catharine
Hardcover
Why You Think the Way You Do: The Story of Western Worldviews from Rome to Home
Sunshine, Glenn S.
Paperback
Lessons from a Lost Republic: What Ancient Rome Can Teach Us about This American Moment
Berenfeld, Michelle
Hardcover
Classical Mythology A to Z: An Encyclopedia of Gods & Goddesses, Heroes & Heroines, Nymphs, Spirits, Monsters, and Places
Giesecke, Annette
Hardcover
Jews vs. Rome: Two Centuries of Rebellion Against the World's Mightiest Empire
Strauss, Barry
Hardcover
The Bullies and Saints: An Honest Look at the Good and Evil of Christian History (Itpe) (Itpe)
Zondervan
Paperback
Behind Caesar's Back: Rumor, Gossip, and the Making of the Roman Emperors
Davenport, Caillan
Hardcover
Cornelius Nepos, Life of Hannibal: Latin text, notes, maps, illustrations and vocabulary
Mulligan, Bret
Paperback
Encyclopedia of Mythology: A Collection of Greek and Roman Heroes, Gods, and Monsters with Collectible Ephemera - Includes 16 Beautifully Designed Pie
Editors of Chartwell Books
Hardcover
Major Works of the Stoics 3-Book Boxed Set: Meditations; Letters from a Stoic; Discourses and Selected Writings
Seneca
Épictète
Aurelius, Marcus
Hardcover
Escape from Pompeii: The Great Eruption of Mount Vesuvius and Its Survivors
Tuck, Steven L.
Hardcover
The Letters of the Younger Pliny, First Series
Keil, Heinrich
Firth, John B. (John Benjamin)
Pliny
Hardcover
Life in Ancient Rome: Absorbing Social History--A Vivid Portrait of a Magnificent Age
Cowell, F. R.
Paperback
Fausto & Felice Niccolini. Houses and Monuments of Pompeii. 45th Ed.
Schütze, Sebastian
Kockel, Valentin
Hardcover
The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire: Illustrations by Giovanni Battista Piranesi
Gibbon, Edward
Hardcover
Strange Religion: How the First Christians Were Weird, Dangerous, and Compelling
Gupta, Nijay K.
Paperback
Women's Life in Greece and Rome: A Source Book in Translation
Fant, Maureen B.
Lefkowitz, Mary R.
Paperback
Naked Statues, Fat Gladiators, and War Elephants: Frequently Asked Questions about the Ancient Greeks and Romans
Ryan, Garrett
Hardcover
Naked Statues, Fat Gladiators, and War Elephants: Frequently Asked Questions about the Ancient Greeks and Romans
Ryan, Garrett
Paperback
Jews vs. Rome: Two Centuries of Rebellion Against the World's Mightiest Empire
Strauss, Barry
Paperback
Meditations (Royal Collector's Edition) (Case Laminate Hardcover with Jacket)
Aurelius, Marcus
Hardcover
Cincinnatus and the Citizen-Servant Ideal: The Roman Legend's Life, Times, and Legacy
Hillyard, Michael J.
Paperback
The Early History of Rome: Books I-V of the History of Rome from Its Foundation
Livy, Titus
Paperback
Cicero, Against Verres, 2.1.53-86: Latin Text with Introduction, Study Questions, Commentary and English Translation
Gildenhard, Ingo
Paperback
The Annals: The Reigns of Tiberius, Claudius, and Nero
Yardley, J. C.
Tacitus, Cornelius
Barrett, Anthony A.
Paperback
The War That Made the Roman Empire: Antony, Cleopatra, and Octavian at Actium
Strauss, Barry
Paperback
Primary Sources for Ancient History: Volume I: The Ancient Near East and Greece
Forsythe, Gary
Paperback