Celsus' Jew and the theological threat from Christianity

Ancient Christians thought a lot about Jews. Considering Jesus’ Jewish roots and Christian claims that the Jews’ sacred texts foreshadowed the coming of Jesus, among other reasons, many Christians naturally puzzled over the refusal of most Jews to accept that Jesus was the expected Messiah of Israel. On the other hand, few Jews in late antiquity, at least until Constantine yoked church and state together in the fourth century, seem to have paid much attention to Christianity. It is evident from extant sources that the influence of Christian exegesis on Jewish thought, for example, was minimal. ¹ This is not to deny that Jews and Christians interacted socially, economically, or even religiously. Such fraternization especially angered church leaders. Yet, evidence for serious theological dialogue and discussion is limited. Jewish sources from the first few centuries CE say little about Jesus or about the spread of faith in him. For some Jews, it is understandable why they would ignore what was becoming a largely Gentile, non-Torah-observant new religion.