How did the Greeks and Jews view each other and their respective beliefs in ancient times?

by [deleted]

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keithingitriel

That really depends on which time period you are wondering about. We know that a lot of different cultures are trading during the late bronze age, however, I don't think there is any literature from Israel or Mycenae. The two cultures are in heavy contact with each other during the Hellenistic period though. I can mention some Jewish primary sources that might give you an answer, but I can't think of any Greek sources at the moment that talk about the Jews. The Jewish sources are 1 and 2 Maccabees and the Letter of Aristeas. 2 Maccabees is very interesting and I would direct you to read it first. The author is a historian, but he writes a Jewish story using Greek literary devices. So even though the story is anti-Greek, the writing itself is similar to Greek writing. Especially with how the author describes the heroes.

Hope this helps, even though I didn't really answer your question.