United States History Student Edition

The Jewish Diaspora, c. 100 C.E. The Diaspora continued for centuries. By the time of the Roman Empire, Jews had spread throughout the Mediterranean region. They represented between 5 and 10 percent of the Roman Empire’s population.

15°W

0°

15°E

30°E

45°E

60°E

N

E

W

S

EUROPE

45°N

Rome

ASIA

T i g r i s R .

Athens

E

u

p

h

r a t

e

s

R

.

Babylon

Med i ter ranean Sea

Jordan R.

AFRICA

30°N

Jerusalem

Dead Sea

Alexandria

ARABIA

Red Sea

0

500 miles

Areas of the Diaspora KEY

500 kilometers

0

Lambert Azimuthal Equal-Area projection

GEOGRAPHY CONNECTION Exploring Location What geographic feature sits at the center of the Jewish Diaspora? What can you conclude from this?

Jewish Europe GUIDING QUESTION How did the Diaspora change over time? Greek and Roman Rule The Jews of Judah remained under Persian rule for about 200 years. Then, in 331 B.C.E., Alexander the Great defeated the Persians. Under Alexander, Judah remained the center of Judaism. Many Jews at that time, had long lived outside Judah. Groups of Jews living outside the Jewish homeland are known as the Diaspora groups of Jews living outside of the Jewish homeland

Diaspora (deye•AS•puh•ruh), a Greek word that means “scattered.” While some Jews accepted Babylon as their permanent home, others hoped to return to Judah. The Jews of the Diaspora remained loyal to Judaism, but, at the same time, many learned the Greek language and adopted features of Greek culture. A group of Jewish scholars in Egypt translated the Hebrew Bible into Greek. The Greek version , called the Septuagint (sep•TOO•uh•juhnt), helped non-Jewish people read and understand the Hebrew Bible.

version a different form or edition

A6