“The Role of Ethnic Prejudice in Shaping Ancient Attitudes toward Jews in Classical Antiquity.

For my midterm paper, I would like to explore the topic: “The Role of Ethnic Prejudice in Shaping Ancient Attitudes toward Jews in Classical Antiquity.” My aim is to analyze the specific perceptions and attitudes toward Jewish communities within ancient Greco-Roman society, focusing on how these views were influenced by broader themes of ethnic prejudice and proto-racism. Using Chapter 13 of The Invention of Racism in Classical Antiquity as a primary source, I plan to examine how stereotypes, cultural misunderstandings, and distinctions between “insiders” and “outsiders” contributed to the ways in which Jewish people were viewed and treated. I am particularly interested in understanding how these attitudes reflect the early foundations of racialized thinking, as well as the role that social and political structures played in reinforcing such biases. This topic will allow me to place ancient Jewish communities within the wider context of ethnic hierarchy in antiquity, providing insight into the historical roots of ethnic prejudice that influenced interactions across different groups.