Abstract It is well established that Jews in the ancient Mediterranean were indistinguishable from their neighbours in terms of their dress behaviours. As Greco-Roman clothing (of the Second Temple era) did not include trousers, one should not expect to see representations of Jewish bodies in artwork of the period where they are depicted as wearing trousers. Yet, there are three such representations of Jewish trouser-wearers claimed in scholarship. The first is found on the enigmatic Bacchius Iudaeus issue, the second on a Titus capta issue, while the third is found on a Flavian period cuirass. This article will examine whether any of these images can credibly be claimed to be depictions of captured or submissive Jews, which would imply that Roman and particularly Flavian authorities intended to use the image of the trousers to associate the Jews with “barbarians,” most particularly in their defeat.
Abstract This article examines Second Temple portrayals of Jacob’s sons born to the slave mothers Bilhah and Zilpah, who in certain texts are cast as morally suspect and genealogically subordinate. It shows how some authors – particularly in Egyptian Jewish contexts – reconfigure these figures as illegitimate, deny them parity, and associate them with disloyalty, and it reads these judgments in light of both the Jewish concept of distinguished descent and the Greek ideal of nobility of birth ( εὐγένεια ). Other traditions, however, seek to recalibrate their maternal origins through genealogical expansion. Rather than reflecting a simple geographic divide, these divergent representations reveal differing ideological orientations within Second Temple Judaism. The article argues that this literary pattern emerges within a broader context shaped by Egyptian ethnographic traditions that portrayed the Jews as a people of servile origin. By restructuring internal genealogical hierarchies, these authors articulate a legitimate collective identity capable of resisting hostile external representations.
Abstract This study tentatively reconstructs the early stages of Aelia Capitolina’s foundation prior to the Second Jewish Revolt (130–132 CE ) and examines consequences for the population of Judea. Drawing on Roman colonial practices, it emphasizes that the allocation of land to veterans was a primary objective, necessitating extensive surveys and redistributions that likely involved expropriation and displacement of local communities even before the uprising. Furthermore, the study argues that limited access to available fertile land around Jerusalem prompted Roman authorities to extend land acquisition into neighboring toparchies, where Jewish settlements had been re-established after 70 CE . Lastly, archaeological evidence from Jerusalem suggests the pre-revolt evacuation of Jewish settlements, supporting the hypothesis of significant changes already underway in the region. While the catastrophic impact of the Bar Kosiba Revolt on the demographic structure of Judea is well documented, this study concludes that the early stages of Aelia Capitolina’s foundation had already triggered significant social and demographic upheavals, which likely contributed to the outbreak of the rebellion.
Abstract Dominant Second Temple biblical discourse frames exogamy and miscegenation as incompatible with the survival of ancient Israelite society. Yet, the Genesis story of Judah highlights the persistence of the patriarch’s lineage despite his exogamous marriage to a Canaanite woman. Jubilees 41 revisits this narrative, aligning Abraham’s kin, Judah and Tamar, in their commitment to the bêt ʾāb , whilst connecting the Canaanite heritage of Er, Onan, and Bedsuel to their rejection of the bêt ʾāb and their punishment by death. Whilst Tamar’s actions in service of the bêt ʾāb ensure a Canaanite-free genealogical line for Judah, she subverts normative expectations for patriarchal power over women’s bodies, by controlling her own sexuality and giving herself to Judah. Jubilees does not resolve this, suggesting that the rewriter was willing to tolerate a certain amount of queerness from those with the right credentials if it was ultimately in service of perpetuating the bêt ʾāb .
In the narrative in 2 Kings 22, Huldah plays a pivotal role in responding to King Josiah’s request to validate the newly discovered “Book of the Law.” Nevertheless, few details are revealed about this female prophet. The brief description of Huldah presents her as a נביאה dwelling at Mishneh in Jerusalem. Since it is unusual for a biblical narrator to comment on the specific section of the city where a prophet dwelt, this essay explores the significance of this reference to Mishneh. Drawing upon archaeological, historical, and exegetical studies, this article posits that Mishneh bears importance in 2 Kings 22 from both historiographical and hermeneutical standpoints, adding authenticity to the text and augmenting our understanding of Huldah’s social locus. This study maintains that Mishneh represents a peripheral space which Huldah occupies as both an insider and outsider.
