Abstract

Between the first and fourth centuries C.E. networks of like-minded individuals who shared certain religious beliefs and practices developed in both Jewish and Christian society. These networks emerged in the context of Roman imperialism which connected, integrated, and to some extent homogenized the various sectors of the population through road connections, infrastructure, and Romanization. Both rabbis and Christian leaders tried to distinguish themselves from certain aspects of their Graeco-Roman cultural environment by, at the same time, functioning within it and adopting some of its features. This study compares rabbinic and Christian leaders’ networking activities within the shared Roman imperial context of the first centuries C.E.