The Oldest Hatred
The Jewish people have always stood out for being slightly ‘different‘. In the ancient world Jews were a close-knit and distinctive group, with their own ways and customs. Their monotheistic beliefs (belief in one god) set them apart from the polytheistic (belief in many gods) peoples around them.
In 38CE in Roman-ruled Alexandria in Egypt, Jews were attacked in the streets, synagogues were burned, and Jewish survivors were forced to live in certain areas. Alexandria had been a centre of Jewish life for centuries. This is believed to be the first ‘pogrom‘ in history – an attack on Jews simply because they are Jewish.
An Egyptian philosopher called Apion encouraged antisemitic hatred by distorting the biblical story of the Exodus from Egypt. He said that the Jews were a ‘diseased’ people who were expelled from Egypt, rather than escaping after being slaves. Apion also spread rumours that Jews kidnapped and ‘fattened’ a Greek person for a human sacrifice to God.
These myths about Jews will reappear later, in other times and places.
The second Jewish Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 CE by the Romans… another attempt to destroy Jewish life and culture.
