Another principal section of the dispersion we find in Syria, whither they had been brought chiefly by Sileucus Nicator or Nicanor (Antiq. vii. 3. 1), when the battle of Ipsos (3or a.c.) had put him in possession of the countries of Syria Proper, Baby lonia, Mesopotamia, Persia, Phoenicia, Palestine, etc. Under his and his successors' fostering rule they reached the highest degree of prosperity (l.c.), principally at Antioch on the Orontes, and Seleu cia on the Tigris, and other great cities founded by Seleucus ; and the privileges which this king had bestowed upon them were constantly con firmed up to the time of Josephus (Antiq. xii. 3. 1). Antiochus Epiphanes, or Epimanes, as he was called, seems to have been the only Syrian potentate by whom the Syrian dispersion was persecuted ; and it was no doubt under his reign that they, in order to escape from his cruelty, began to emigrate in all directions—to Armenia, Cappadocia (Helena, the Jewish Queen of Adiabone, Joseph. Antiq. xx. Cyprus, and over the whole of Asia Minor ; Phrygia and Lydia alone possessed Jewish colonies of a previous date, planted there by Antiochus the Greek (Joseph. Antiq. xii. 3. 4). Hence they dis persed themselves throughout the islands of the tEgean, to Macedonia, to Greece, where they in habited chiefly the seaports and the marts of trade and commerce.
Although, to use the words of Josephus (Antiq. xiv. 7. 2), the habitable globe was so full of Jews that there was scarcely a corner of the Roman em pire where they might not be found—a statement fully confirmed by the number of Roman decrees issued to various parts of the empire for their pro tection (Joseph. Antiq. xiv. 10, seqq.)—there is yet no absolute proof of their having acquired any fixed settlements in the metropolis itself, anterior to the time of Pompey, who, after the taking of Jerusa lem, carried back with him many Jewish captives and prisoners to Rome (Joseph., 63 s.c.) These
being generally either allowed to retire from the service or ransomed, remained there as Libertini, and in time formed, by the addition to their num ber of fresh immigrants from Asia and Greece. a large and highly influential community, which occupied chiefly the Transtiberine portion of the city, together with an island in the Tiber. Their prosperity grew with their numbers, and suffered but short interruptions under Tiberius (Suet. in Tib. c. 36). [The expulsion under Claudius (Suet. in Cl. 25) and Caligula (Joseph. Antiq. xviii. 6) is contradicted (Dia. Cass. 6o. 6 ; ()rosins 7. 6.)] They built numerous synagogues, founded schools (even a—short-lived—academy), made proselytes, and enjoyed the full privileges of Roman citizens. In the decrees they are styled 7roXirat Pumaicov, 7roXtrai icth-epoi 'Iovaaioc, Joseph. Antiq. xiv. 20. The connection between the Roman dispersion and Palestine was very close, especially so long as the young princes of the Herodian house were, in a manner, obliged to live in Rome. There is no doubt that to the influence of this powerful body, whose number, origin, strange rites and customs, attracted no small share of public notice (Tacitus, Sueton. Cicero, Juven. Horace, Martial, Justin. etc. etc., passim), and to their access to the Imperial Court was due the amelioration of the condition of the Jewish people throughout every country to which the sway of Rome extended. It was also through Rome chiefly, both before, and still more after, the final destruction of Jerusalem, that the stream of Jewish emigration was poured over the greater part of Europe. Of the world-wide influence of the Jewish dispersion on Christianity, which ad dressed itself first of all to the former as a body (Acts xiii. 46; H. 9, z r), farther mention will be found under the special article JEWS. See also CAPTIVITIES; ALEXANDRIA; RONIE. —E. D.