Jewish-Greek Relations in Mid-First Century Alexandria

Now about this time discord broke out between the Jews and the Greeks in the city of Alexandria; for after Gaius had died [in 41 CE], the nation of the Jews, whose condition had been significantly degraded under the reign of Gaius [r. 37–41 CE], and had been terribly abused by the people of Alexandria, regained their courage and at once took up arms to fight for themselves. So Claudius sent an order to the prefect of Egypt that he keep in check the factionalist strife. He also issued a decree, at the requests of King Agrippa and King Herod, both to Alexandria and to Syria, whose contents were as follows:

“Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, of tribunician authority, ordains as follows: As I am assured that the Jews of Alexandria, called Alexandrians, have been joint inhabitants in the earliest times with the Alexandrians, and have obtained from their kings equal privileges [politeias] with them, as is evident by the public records that are in their possession, and the edicts themselves; and that after Alexandria had been subjected to our empire by Augustus, their rights and privileges had been preserved by those prefects who have periodically been sent to that place; and that no dispute had been raised about those rights and privileges, even when Aquila was governor of Alexandria; and upon the death of the Jewish ethnarch, Augustus did not prohibit the making of such ethnarchs, being willing that all men should be so subject [to the Romans] as to continue in the observation of their own customs, and not be forced to transgress the ancient rules of their own ancestral religious cult; but that the Alexandrians became insolent toward the Jews that were among them in the time of Gaius, who due to his great madness and lack of understanding reduced the nation of the Jews very low because they refused to transgress their ancestral religious customs and address him as a god: I wish therefore that the nation of the Jews be not deprived of their rights and privileges on account of the madness of Gaius but that those rights and privileges that they formerly enjoyed be preserved for them and that they may continue in their own customs. And I charge both parties to take very great care that no troubles may arise after my promulgation of this edict.”

This, therefore, was the content of the edict that was sent to Alexandria on behalf of the Jewish people, whereas the edict that was sent to the other regions of the Roman world read as follows:

“Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, high priest, of tribunician authority, elected consul for the second time, ordains as follows. King Agrippa and King Herod, both of whom are most dear to me, have petitioned that I should grant the same rights be safeguarded to the Jewish people living under the Romans throughout the empire as granted to those in Alexandria. I have most willingly agreed, not only to oblige those who petitioned me but also because I have judged those Jews for whom I have been petitioned deserving of their request on account of their loyalty to and friendship with the Romans. And I most certainly consider it just that no Greek cities should be deprived of these rights, since they were ensured to them during the time of the divine Augustus. It is, therefore, proper that the Jews throughout the [Roman] world under our authority should observe their ancestral customs without hindrance. And I further enjoin them to partake of this benevolence of mine with moderation and not to show contempt for the religious observances of other nations, but simply to keep their own laws. I hereby will that this edict of mine be engraved on tables by the magistrates of the cities, colonies, and municipal places, both those within Italy and outside of it, both kings and governors, by the means of the ambassadors, and to have it posted to the public for a full thirty days, in such a place where it may plainly be read from the ground.”