Page 114 - Edessa, 'The Blessed City'-01, by J. B. Segal (Oxford, 1970). Chapters 1-3

JEWISH COMMUNITY 101

laws of circumcision, and of rest from work on the Sabbath by Jews wherever
they are domiciled. But in the latter half of the fourth century the situation
was very different. Antipathy between Christians and Jews had become
deep-seated. The writings of Ephraim show bitter hostility towards the
Jews, although he, like Aphraates, was greatly indebted to the example of
Jewish teaching for the construction and logic of his arguments. We can only
surmise the reasons for the change; they almost certainly are to be found in
the course of events in which Ephraim had himself been an actor. In the
struggle between the Christian population of Nisibis and the Persians, the Jews
of Nisibis are likely to have supported the latter. They were aligned against
Byzantium. It is true that Emperor Julian acted towards the Jews and wrote
about the Jews with some kindness and sympathy, but his sympathy stemmed
from hatred of Christianity, the Jews were pawns in the desperate struggle
of paganism against the growing power of Christianity. Sozomen writes that,
in favouring the Jews, Julian 'was not actuated ... by any respect for their
religion,... but he thought to grieve the Christians by favouring the Jews
Perhaps he also calculated upon persuading the Jews to embrace paganism
and sacrifices.'1
The turning point in Jewish-Christian relations at Edessa must have come
with the treaty between Byzantium and Persia in 363. By this treaty the
frontiers between the two empires were sharply defined. Edessa lay firmly in
the orbit of Byzantium; Nisibis had become a Persian stronghold. To mer-
chants of west Mesopotamia this spelt poverty and decay, for the frontiers
cut the caravan route along which was carried the produce of India and the
Far East. To the Christians of west Mesopotamia the treaty meant isolation
from a great centre of their faith. But to the Jews of Edessa, for whom
association with Nisibis was vital,2 it was a disaster from which they never
recovered. Without Nisibis, they were left leaderless as well as impoverished.
They had nowhere to turn for help. The political power of the pagans,
unreliable allies in time of need, had been broken with the defeat and death
of Julian. The Christians no longer needed the Jews as allies in their struggle
with heathendom. The Jews were despised and rejected. At Callinicos in
388 Christians burned the synagogue. Theodosius ordered them to rebuild
it, but at the urging of Ambrose the Imperial order was rescinded and even
financial compensation was refused to the Jews. It is significant that the
tolerant emperor felt obliged to instruct the military authorities in the East

1 Ammian, an independent witness, relates scarcely to be followed when he maintains that
how Julian sought to restore the Temple at the Christians of Edessa 'slew the Jews who
Jerusalem but was deterred by supernatural were their neighbours', on hearing that Julian
balls of fire. Later writers greatly expanded the had gone to Harran and 'offered sacrifice to
story. The acts of Julian were quickly overlaid idols and paid honour to the Jews',
with legend, and the 'histories' must be largely 2 See p. 41 above,
discounted. Bar Hebraeus, for example, is

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