1 Earliest Rome

12. R E L I G I O U S G R O U P S
12.6e A Jewish community in Aphrodisias (perhaps early third century A.D.)
This inscription from a city in the province of Asia (western Turkey) gives a
unique vignette of a private Jewish association, devoted both to the Law and to
prayer, which contributed money, perhaps for the building of a soup kitchen.
The presence of, and distinction between, 'proselytes' and 'god-fearers' is
important. 'Proselytes' were full converts to Judaism (marked either by ritual
immersion alone, or also by circumcision); 'godfearers' were (it seems) gentiles
who followed aspects of the Jewish Law and way of life. The text, in Greek, is
inscribed on a stone pilaster, which perhaps originally stood beside a doorway.
The translation of the first eight lines is very uncertain. Some words are rare or
unique; in other cases it is unclear whether rhey should be read as part of the
technical vocabulary of Palestinian Judaism or simply as 'ordinary' Greek
usage. This difficulty of translation relates to the problem of how far Judaism
showed wide local variation and how far its norms were determined by
Palestinian practice.
See further: Vol. 1, 275-6, 293; 11.8 for hostile views of proselytes;
12.6d(fi) for a tombstone of one; Schürer (1973-87) ill-1, 160-76; Reynolds
and Tannenbaum (1987); Trebilco (1991)*.
Reynolds and Tannenbaum (1987) 5-7
God our help, a [building?, gift?] for the dish.' The below-listed members of the
association of lovers of learning who also wholly praise (?) erected for the
relief of suffering in the community from their own resources this memorial :
Jael the patron with his son Joshua the official; Theodotos Palatinos- with his son
Hilarianos; Samuel leader of the association (?), a proselyte; Joseph son of Jesse; Benjamin
the psalm%inger; Judas the good-natured; Joseph, a proselyte; Sabbatios son of
Amachios; Emmonios, a god-fearer; Antoninos, a god-fearer; Samuel son of Politianos;
Joseph son of Eusebios, a proselyte; and Judas son of Theodoras; and Antipeos son of
Hermeas; and Sabathios the sweet; [and] Samuel the elder, priest.
Samuel
the elder, of Perge. 3
326
1. Interpreted by the editors as metaphorical for a soup kitchen, a charitable institution
enjoined by contemporary texts from Palestine, but not otherwise attested at this date in
Judaism elsewhere.
2. Possibly a former employee of the imperial court (on the Palatine hill at Rome).
3. A city on the south coast of modern Turkey.