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The Reading Culture of Early Christianity

Scriptural and Historical Accounts

The departure of the Apostle Paul from Athens to Corinth is noted in the Scriptures, where it is mentioned that in Corinth, Paul encountered Aquila and Priscilla, a Jewish couple recently arrived from Italy. This was a consequence of an edict by Emperor Claudius demanding that all Jews leave Rome, as recounted in Acts 18:1-2: “After this, he [Paul] left Athens and went to Corinth, where he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome.”

Varied Perspectives from Roman Historians

This event is corroborated by several Roman historians, albeit with differing details and interpretations. Suetonius, in his work “The Twelve Caesars”, states: “Because the Jews at Rome caused continuous disturbances at the instigation of Chrestus, he [i.e., Claudius] expelled them from the city.” This passage suggests that the Jewish expulsion was a response to civil unrest in Rome, which Suetonius attributes to someone he calls “Chrestus.” Many scholars believe this to be a misidentification of Christ and that the disturbances were linked to tensions between Jews and Christians in Rome.

Dio Cassius offers another view in his “Roman History,” describing the situation with additional nuances: “As for the Jews, who had again increased so greatly that by reason of their multitude it would have been hard without raising a tumult to bar them from the city, he [Claudius] did not drive them out, but ordered them, while continuing their traditional mode of life, not to hold meetings.” While this seems at odds with Suetonius’s account, Dio Cassius’s description may simply provide more detail rather than contradiction, indicating that Claudius’s actions were more about prohibiting communal gatherings than a wholesale expulsion.

Caesar Claudius Evicts the Jews from Rome

Synthesizing the Evidence

In examining these sources, Suetonius’s account aligns with the Biblical narrative, confirming the expulsion of Jews from Rome during the reign of Claudius. Dio Cassius’s later writings suggest a distinction between a full expulsion and a prohibition on Jewish religious practices, which would have indirectly pressured many Jews to leave Rome. Both historians, alongside the Biblical account, point to significant measures taken against the Jewish population under Emperor Claudius, whether through direct expulsion or through restrictions severe enough to lead to their departure.

Significant Event

The expulsion of the Jews from Rome under Emperor Claudius is a significant event that is supported by both Biblical and historical accounts. This incident is also briefly mentioned by the Roman historian Tacitus, who refers to the expulsion of Jews by Claudius, although without much detail.

The edict of expulsion by Claudius around 49-50 CE is not only mentioned in the book of Acts in the New Testament but also corroborated by these Roman historical accounts, albeit with some differences in the details and the extent of the expulsion.

The reasons behind Claudius’s expulsion of the Jews are not entirely clear and are subject to interpretation. The reference to “Chrestus” by Suetonius is a point of scholarly debate, with many historians suggesting that it is a misspelling or misunderstanding of “Christus”, implying disturbances in the Jewish community in Rome over the spread of Christianity. However, Suetonius’s text doesn’t explicitly connect these disturbances to Christian teachings or the person of Jesus Christ but could indicate conflicts within the Jewish community itself that may have been related to the presence of Christian beliefs.

Dio Cassius suggests a more administrative reason, citing the sheer number of Jews in Rome and the difficulties their gatherings could create. This implies that the expulsion was not total but rather a targeted action to prevent communal activities that could lead to unrest.

There is evidence to suggest that the expulsion was not permanent. The edict likely targeted a specific group within the Jewish community or was a temporary measure since, after the death of Claudius, Jews, including Aquila and Priscilla, returned to Rome.

Additionally, the expulsion of the Jews by Claudius is significant as it shows the early spread of Christianity outside Judea and how Roman authorities initially reacted to the new movement. This event also reflects the broader social and political context of the time, where Roman rulers often had to deal with various ethnic and religious groups within the empire’s boundaries, sometimes leading to harsh measures.

This event in Christian history is significant because it demonstrates the early challenges faced by Jewish Christians in the Roman Empire and the broader implications for the spread of Christianity. It also highlights the intersection of historical and scriptural narratives, providing a multifaceted view of the past.

About the Author

EDWARD D. ANDREWS (AS in Criminal Justice, BS in Religion, MA in Biblical Studies, and MDiv in Theology) is the CEO and President of Christian Publishing House. He has authored more than 220 books and is the Chief Translator of the Updated American Standard Version (UASV).