ABSTRACT
This diachronic study of Jews and Judaism in Roman Italy covers the period from the late Republic to the immediate aftermath of the Barbarian invasions. Various topics are covered, such as the demographic evolution, the extension of the settlement in Rome and in Italy, the legal status of the Jews as individuals and as a group in the light of Josephus’ Antiquities, the Theodosian and Justinian law codes, the organization of the Jewish communities in the light of epigraphic evidence mainly from Rome and Venosa, the perception of Jews and Judaism in the immediate surroundings, and the importance of Jewish apologists, such as the anonymous authors of the Collatio and of the Letter of Annas to Seneca.
