In ancient and medieval societies the Jews were exhorted by their mentors in the faith,- prophets, teachers of the law and rabbis,-to avoid compromise with their idolatrous and immoral neighbours. The consequence was that the Jews were then perceived as misanthropic, aloof and contemptuous of all Gentile aspects of life-style. This engendered many unfounded suspicions and distrust of all Jewish people in these early centuries.
Judaism was often misunderstood or misrepresented by some classical authors, who concluded, without evidence, that its worship and rituals gave a special place to animals; the pig was even thought by some to be a sacred animal in Jewish worship rituals.
Living in the midst of the polytheism which pervaded the ancient world a suspicion arose because of Judaism’s strange, monotheistic faith. Yet, the monotheism of Christianity gradually found acceptance in the Roman world, even before the time of Constantine because of the spirit-inspired witness of the first Christian converts to faith in Jesus Christ. The monotheism of Islam throughout North Africa, the near East and beyond was achieved by force of arms and intimidation from the 8th. century onwards. These faiths never aroused such suspicion, but the abnormality of the faith of the Jews in their One ethical God remained a source of fear in their pagan neighbours.
Jewish exclusiveness was interpreted in their host societies as an hostility towards any culture or life-style which was non-Jewish.
TO BE CONTINUED..
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