What were the demographics of Palestine in the Roman era?

by zafiroblue05

Looking at, let's say, the 1st and 2nd century CE, from before Jesus to after Bar Kokhba... who were the people who lived in Palestine?

Naturally there were Jews, Samaritans, Jewish Christians who became less and less Jewish, naturally there were Roman soldiers... were there Roman civilians? Were there non-Roman pagans (like Philistines or Canaanites)? Would there have been peoples we could think of as "Arabs" or "Ishmaelites"?

DCHindley

There were all sorts of non-Israelites living there. Remember the wars between the Egyptian and Syrian Greek rulers. They used the Levant as a highway, and in the process, settled colonies there. Colonies were usually set up as independent "city states," or had some sort of formal constitution.

Also, each successive ruler (Persians, Macedonian Greeks, Romans and even Hasmoneans) had removed regions from local control and gave them as "gift estates" to their retainers. Each king or governor reapportioned the gift estates as required to secure loyalty of the local elites.

In both cases, Israelites may have been employed as tenant farmers in the land under control of the colonies or estate "owners."

For something that is free, try downloading a copy of Emil Schürer's A History of the Jewish People in the Time of Jesus Christ (2nd ed, Div 2, Vol 1, 1885, 1910), sections 22 & 23.

"22. THE STATE OF CULTURE IN GENERAL, .... 1

I. Mixture of Population, Language, .... 1

II. Diffusion of Hellenic Culture, . . . . .11

  1. Hellenism in the Non-Jewish Regions, . . .11
  2. Hellenism in the Jewish Region, . . . .29

III. Position of Judaism with respect to Heathenism, . . 51"

"23. CONSTITUTION. SANHEDRIM. HIGH PRIEST, . . .57

I. The Hellenistic Towns, ..... 57 Raphia, 66. Gaza, 68. Anthedon, 72. Ascalon, 74. Azotus, 76. Jamnia, 78. Joppa, 79. Apollonia, 83. Straton's Tower Caesarea, 84. Dora, 87. Ptolemais, 90. Damascus, 96. Hippus, 98. Gadara, 100. Abila, 104. Raphana, 106. Kanata, 106. Kanatha, 108. Scythopolis, 110. Pella, 113. Dium, 115. Gerasa, 116. Philadelphia, llr. Sebaste = Samaria, 123. Gaba, 127. Esbon (Hesbon), 128. Antipatris, 130. Phasaelis, 131. Caesarea Panias, 132. Julias = Bethsaida, 135. Sepphoris, 136. Julias = Livias, 141. Tiberias, 143.

II. The strictly Jewish Territory, . . . . .149"