Polish-Jewish Relations: 1,300 Keyword-Phrase-Indexed Book Reviews (by Jan Peczkis)

The Treatment of the Jews in the Christian Writers of the First Three Centuries, by Robert Wilde. 1949

Jewish Complicity in the Persecution of the Early Christians in the Ancient Roman Empire

Volumes upon volumes have been written about Christian persecution of Jews, and this has sometimes even been taken as a precedent, or at least inspiration, for the eventual German-made Holocaust. This book presents the other side of the coin: Long before Christians persecuted Jews, Jews had collaborated with the pagan Roman authorities in the persecution of the Christians.

THE FORCED CONVERSION OF THE PAGAN IDUMEANS BY THE JEWS

To begin with, the Jews proved capable of forcing their religious will upon others when they had the power to do so. Author Wilde discusses the works, “On Herod”, by a certain Ptolemy. Wilde writes, (quote) For circumcision itself was sufficiently despised but when it was forced on a people against its will, it became rich material for those who would attack the Jews. Ptolemy, speaking of the difference of Jews and Idumeans, says the Jews are those who by nature and origin are such. Idumeans, however, were not Jews from the beginning, but Phoenicians and Syrians. They were, however, conquered by the Jews, and forced to be circumcised, forced to pay taxes for the Jewish nation, and forced to take on the same legal observances. Hence they are called Jews. (unquote). (p. 51).

For more on the forced conversion of the Idumeans to Judaism, see my review:

https://www.jewsandpolesdatabase.org/2019/11/04/jewish-chosenness-confronted-kaplan/

JEWISH PRIVILEGES IN ANCIENT, PAGAN ROME

The Jews, as a whole, never had rights as full Roman citizens, though a considerable number of Jews did become Roman citizens. (p. 31).

Judaism was unique in being the RELIGIO LICITA. The privileges of Jews, as a whole, included the following, 1) Freedom from expulsion without the authorization of the king or emperor, 2) The right to synagogues and cemeteries, 3) Freedom of Jewish worship and practice (except circumcision, for a brief period of time), 4) The right to at least the semblance of a local self-government, 5) The right to impose fees upon the Jewish community, 6) The right (to a point) to judge Jewish criminals, and 7) The exemption of Jews from military service, perhaps with a pecuniary indemnity. (pp. 28-31).

EARLY JEWISH-CHRISTIANS RELATIONS

The Jews called the Christians MINIM, and found them worse than the pagans, as the latter never had the truth to begin with, while the former did have it, but had abandoned it. (pp. 144-145). In fact, Jews used terms such as M’SHUMADIM, NOSRIM, and MINIM, as part of the Jewish curses offered in synagogues during prayer. (p. 119).

The Talmudic derogatory reference to Jesus Christ, BEN PANDERA, may have arisen as a parody of His title as born of a Virgin (PARTHENOU). (p. 186).

Christian thinkers, for their part, were not unilaterally negative towards Jews. For instance, Origin defended Jews against Celsus, pointing to the fact that the Jewish conception of God, and the morality of their religion, is superior to that of the pagans. (p. 195).

EARLY JEWISH CONDUCT AGAINST CHRISTIANS

The author finds unconvincing the speculation that the Jewish community in Rome had been a party to the Christian persecution under Nero. (p. 144). However, there is plenty of evidence for Jewish complicity in the Roman persecutions of Christians, and I touch on some of these in the remainder of this review.

Consider, first of all, the revolt against Rome led by Simon bar Kokhba. Wilde comments, (quote) In the revolt of Barchocheba (133-135), Justin says, Christians alone were persecuted for loyalty to another Messias… Eusebius says that Barchocheba persecuted Christians because they would not fight the Romans. (unquote). (p. 103).

JEWISH VICTIMIZERS: ACTIVE JEWISH INVOLVEMENT IN THE MARTYRDOM OF POLYCARP

The following is based on the letter of the Church of Smyrna to that of Philomelium on the murder or Polycarp in 155 A. D. (p. 141). Author Wilde describes it as follows, (quote) And forthwith the whole multitude of Gentiles and of Jews who dwelt in Smyrna angrily demanded that the proconsul deliver Polycarp to the lions. But it was impossible, for in the games that had just been finished they had all been killed. Then they decided with one cry to demand that he be burned alive…Especially active in these preparations were the Jews, as was their custom, who eagerly helped the people in this matter…We learn from Origen that the Jews were habitually inciters of persecution against the Christians…The Jews are not recorded as having instigated the persecution, but once it was begun, they lent voice and hand to its completion. (unquote). (p. 142).

REFERENCES, IN PATRISTIC WRITINGS, TO JEWS HAVING A HAND IN THE PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS

The following references, to Jewish complicity in the persecution of Christians, are tabulated on page 145:

Justin (DIALOGUE and APOLOGIA)

Irenaeus (ADVERSUS HAERESES)

Tertullian (SCORPIACE, AD NATIONES, and APOLOGETICUM)

Hippolytus (IN DANIEL)

Origen (CONTRA CELSUM)

Cyprian (EPISTOLAE and CORPUS SCRIPTORUM ECCLESIASTICORUM

Eusebius (HISTORIA ECCLESIASTICA and ADVERSUS HAERESIS)

Epiphanius (HAERESES and PATROLOGIA GRAECA)