Nicholas de Lange, “Reflections on Jewish Identity in Late Antiquity,” in Raanan S. Boustan, et al., eds., Envisioning Judaism: Studies in honor of Peter Schäfer on the Occasion of his Seventieth Birthday, vol. 1 (Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2013), 167–182 (original) (raw)

This paper explores the complexities of Jewish identity as articulated through Roman legal texts from Late Antiquity, particularly the Codex Theodosianus and the Codex Justinianus. The analysis highlights how these legal frameworks both recognized and problematized Jewish corporate identity, emphasizing the nuanced interplay between legal status, religious practices, and communal structures during this period. The paper discusses the implications of special taxes and references to Jewish corporate identity, alongside textual evidence that illustrates the evolving nature of Judaism and its interaction with the Roman state.