Jewish Colonies in Babylonia and Its Environs

And not only are the mainlands full of Jewish colonies but also the most highly esteemed of the islands Euboea, Cyprus, Crete. I say nothing of the countries beyond the Euphrates, for except for a small part they all, Babylon and of the other satrapies those where the land within their confines is highly fertile, have Jewish inhabitants. So that if…

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In On the Embassy to Gaius (Legatio ad Gaium), Philo of Alexandria describes his diplomatic mission to Roman emperor Gaius Caligula (r. 37–41 CE) to secure the rights of Alexandrian Jews in the face of civil discord between Jews and Greeks in Alexandria. In this passage, Philo advocates Jewish support for the Roman Empire, mentioning the Jews in Babylonia in the course of his argument.

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