Have you ever been sent or scattered from your home?
This is a key to the identity of the Jewish people in Jesus’ time. Really, this dispersion or “Diaspora” of the Jewish people goes well beyond his time. It begins in 587 BC when the Babylonians invaded Judah and brought many of its people into exile. Even before many were forced out, some fled to Egypt. And what’s interesting is that even after Jews were allowed to go back to Jerusalem, many chose to stay in their new homes, having built and established signficant communities abroad. In addition to these two major areas, Jews began to volunatraily emigrate to other parts of the world as well. In fact by the turn of the millenium we find evidence of Jewish centers of population from the Persian Gulf in the East all the way to Spain and Morocco in the West.
So the people were no longer simply a people of Israel, but a people of many nations. At the same time, the weight was always in Jerusalem. No matter where they lived, Jews continued to identify themselves with Jerusalem, with the Temple there, and with the religious beliefs handed down from Judah. One of the most famous Jews of the time, Philo, a signficant man in Alexandria said that no matter where he lived, Jerusalem would always be his capitol.
Thus, even when scattered, the Jewish people were able to maintain some unity. And interestingly enough, because they were scattered afar, Diaspora Jews began some elements that would help grow the people and its influence. Because they were so surrounded by Gentiles, they became more evangelistic in their writings. Because they were so far from home, they couldn’t rely simply on occasional gatherings at the Temple and so they developed the synagogue system which formed a center of community for their own people and also drew in many Gentiles.
And of course these traditions influence early Christianity as well. Christians have the examples of some early Jewish Diaspora writers to follow when evangelizing or defending their faith. They also have the example of the synagogues to follow in creating worship centers. And in reality, it is the synagogues themselves that become a focus of early Christian evangelism. In fact, there’s a map in the book that show how Jewish centers with synaoguges were also the areas that saw the earliest Christian evangelism and growth as well.
So maybe scattering isn’t all bad. As you reflect on your own life and the times and places God has brought you away from “home”, think also on how he might be moving you to reach out while still staying connected to the people and places you’ve left behind.
