Fiscus judaicus

A coin from Nerva marked FISCI IUDAICI CALUMNIA SUBLATA

The Fiscus Judaicus ( Latin for Jewish tax ) was a tax that was imposed on Jews by Emperor Vespasian after the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in AD 70 . The tax was initially used to rebuild the Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus in Rome, which had been damaged by fire.

According to Suetonius , the Fiscus Judaicus was enforced particularly strictly under Emperor Domitian , and it was also confiscated from Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians , because the Romans viewed both Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians as manifestations of Judaism at that time.

Under Emperor Nerva , coins were minted with the inscription FISCI IUDAICI CALUMNIA SUBLATA. The inscription is ambiguous, but there is agreement that the Fiscus Judaicus was reformed in some way . According to this source, there are several options for translation. According to this source, only the practice of false accusations that someone was a follower of Judaism was withdrawn. As Cassius Dio reports, z. B. Titus Flavius Clemens , the cousin of Emperor Domitian, executed on this charge.

The Fiscus Judaicus itself continued to be levied, at least until Origen's time . However, it is unclear to what point in time the Fiscus Judaicus was raised. It is possible that it was not abolished until Julian AD 362.

According to this source, the reform of the Fiscus Judaicus under Nerva led to a separation of the ways of Judaism and Christianity. Before the reform of Nerva, while the Romans were suspicious of Christianity, it was viewed as part of Judaism. From the year 96 AD, the Roman authorities used a stricter definition of the term Jew , which made it easier for them to distinguish between Judaism (as religio licita , a religion accepted in the empire) and Christianity (as superstitio illicita , an illegal religious one Movement).

Web links

Jewish taxes in the Roman Empire, especially chapter 3.5.3

Individual evidence

↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/6157-fiscus-judaicus

↑ ^a ^b ^c http://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/reviews/the-fiscus-judaicus-and-the-parting-of-the-ways/

↑ Louis H. Feldman, Shaye JD Cohen, Joshua J. Schwartz; Studies in Josephus And the Varieties of Ancient Judaism, BRILL, 2007, p. 86 "that under Domitian iudaicus fiscus acerbissime actus est "

↑ http://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/reviews/the-fiscus-judaicus-and-the-parting-of-the-ways/ "[..] those who lived a Jewish life without publicly acknowledging the fact and those who concealed their Jewish origins. [..] Heemstra argues that the first category includes gentile Christians (who lived a Jewish life without publicly acknowledging the fact) and the second includes Jewish Christians (ethnic Jews who concealed their Jewish origins). "

↑ http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/6157-fiscus-judaicus "[..] those that lived a Jewish life without paying the tax, or that sought to keep their origin secret [..]"

↑ http://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/reviews/the-fiscus-judaicus-and-the-parting-of-the-ways/ "In other words, the Romans regarded both gentile Christianity and Jewish Christianity as forms of Judaism, hence liable to the tax. "

^ ^A ^b Marius Heemstra: The Fiscus Judaicus and the Parting of the Ways, Mohr Siebeck, 2010, p. 202 "Christianity related to Judaism, but suspect"

↑ Louis H. Feldman, Shaye JD Cohen, Joshua J. Schwartz; Studies in Josephus And the Varieties of Ancient Judaism, BRILL, 2007, pp. 85–87

A. [A specific case in which] a false accusation was brought to the treasury for Jewish affairs has been struck out.
B. [All bringing of] malicious accusation [s] to the treasury responsible for Jewish affairs has been brought to an end.
C. A [specific case in which] a false accusation was brought by the treasury for Jewish affairs has been struck out.
D. The false accusation [against all Jews made by] the treasury for Jewish affairs has been wiped away.

^ E. Mary Smallwood: The Jews Under Roman Rule, BRILL, 2001, p. 378 "The coins commemorate the abolition [..] of calumnia , false charges [..] the coin-legend concentrates on groundless denunciations [..] and proclaims the end of the abuse [..] "

^ E. Mary Smallwood: The Jews Under Roman Rule, BRILL, 2001, p. 378 "[..] the charge against them was atheism, a charge on which many others who were drifting into Jewish ways were condemned [..]"

↑ Martin Goodman: Nerva, the Fiscus Judaicus and Jewish Identity, The Journal of Roman Studies Vol. 79, (1989), p. 44 "[..] for its imposition was still in operation in the time of Origen [..]

↑ http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/jewish/julian-jews.asp "In a famous Greek letter to the Jews, [..], he abolished the special taxes paid to the Roman government [..]

^ Marius Heemstra: The Fiscus Judaicus and the Parting of the Ways, Mohr Siebeck, 2010

↑ http://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/reviews/the-fiscus-judaicus-and-the-parting-of-the-ways/ "In sum, the social, political and cultural separation between Jews and Christians, usually called the "Parting of the ways," was substantially complete by 100 CE, and set in place first and foremost by Nerva in 96 CE as part of his reform of the fiscus Judaicus. "

↑ http://www.mohr.de/de/judaistik/fachgebiete/antike/buch/the-fiscus-judaicus-and-the-parting-of-the-ways.html ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.@1@ 2Template: Toter Link / www.mohr.de
↑ Marius Heemstra: The Fiscus Judaicus and the Parting of the Ways, Mohr Siebeck, 2010, pp. 201-203

[jew_enc_fj-1] ttp://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/6157-fiscus-judaicus

[bib_arch_fj-2] ttp://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/reviews/the-fiscus-judaicus-and-the-parting-of-the-ways/

[3] Louis H. Feldman, Shaye JD Cohen, Joshua J. Schwartz; Studies in Josephus And the Varieties of Ancient Judaism, BRILL, 2007, p. 86 "that under Domitian iudaicus fiscus acerbissime actus est "

[4] ttp://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/reviews/the-fiscus-judaicus-and-the-parting-of-the-ways/ "[..] those who lived a Jewish life without publicly acknowledging the fact and those who concealed their Jewish origins. [..] Heemstra argues that the first category includes gentile Christians (who lived a Jewish life without publicly acknowledging the fact) and the second includes Jewish Christians (ethnic Jews who concealed their Jewish origins). "

[5] ttp://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/6157-fiscus-judaicus "[..] those that lived a Jewish life without paying the tax, or that sought to keep their origin secret [..]"

[6] ttp://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/reviews/the-fiscus-judaicus-and-the-parting-of-the-ways/ "In other words, the Romans regarded both gentile Christianity and Jewish Christianity as forms of Judaism, hence liable to the tax. "

[Heemstra_202-7] A ^b Marius Heemstra: The Fiscus Judaicus and the Parting of the Ways, Mohr Siebeck, 2010, p. 202 "Christianity related to Judaism, but suspect"

[8] Louis H. Feldman, Shaye JD Cohen, Joshua J. Schwartz; Studies in Josephus And the Varieties of Ancient Judaism, BRILL, 2007, pp. 85–87

A. [A specific case in which] a false accusation was brought to the treasury for Jewish affairs has been struck out.

B. [All bringing of] malicious accusation [s] to the treasury responsible for Jewish affairs has been brought to an end.

C. A [specific case in which] a false accusation was brought by the treasury for Jewish affairs has been struck out.

D. The false accusation [against all Jews made by] the treasury for Jewish affairs has been wiped away.

[9] A. [A specific case in which] a false accusation was brought to the treasury for Jewish affairs has been struck out.

[10] B. [All bringing of] malicious accusation [s] to the treasury responsible for Jewish affairs has been brought to an end.

[11] C. A [specific case in which] a false accusation was brought by the treasury for Jewish affairs has been struck out.

[12] D. The false accusation [against all Jews made by] the treasury for Jewish affairs has been wiped away.

[9] E. Mary Smallwood: The Jews Under Roman Rule, BRILL, 2001, p. 378 "The coins commemorate the abolition [..] of calumnia , false charges [..] the coin-legend concentrates on groundless denunciations [..] and proclaims the end of the abuse [..] "

[10] E. Mary Smallwood: The Jews Under Roman Rule, BRILL, 2001, p. 378 "[..] the charge against them was atheism, a charge on which many others who were drifting into Jewish ways were condemned [..]"

[11] Martin Goodman: Nerva, the Fiscus Judaicus and Jewish Identity, The Journal of Roman Studies Vol. 79, (1989), p. 44 "[..] for its imposition was still in operation in the time of Origen [..]

[12] ttp://www.fordham.edu/halsall/jewish/julian-jews.asp "In a famous Greek letter to the Jews, [..], he abolished the special taxes paid to the Roman government [..]

[13] Marius Heemstra: The Fiscus Judaicus and the Parting of the Ways, Mohr Siebeck, 2010

[14] ttp://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/reviews/the-fiscus-judaicus-and-the-parting-of-the-ways/ "In sum, the social, political and cultural separation between Jews and Christians, usually called the "Parting of the ways," was substantially complete by 100 CE, and set in place first and foremost by Nerva in 96 CE as part of his reform of the fiscus Judaicus. "