Chapter Two. The Rights Of Residence Of Alexandrian Jews In The Ptolemaic Period

Abstract

Octavian, later Augustus, was the agent of many changes in Egypt and Alexandria, and the Jews were not excluded. Augustus changed Alexandria's status and the city lost its governmental independence with the suppression of the boulē. Augustus' reforms of the city and national government affected the internal structure of the Jewish polituema. Augustus allowed the Jewish community to retain the status of katoikoi epitimoi, where katoikoi refers to retaining residence, very likely derived from the original military settlement. Alexandria was a Macedonian settlement and it may well be that the word's original meaning remained part of the city's political lexicon, indicating rights of residence granted for military duties. The Jews had participated in Alexandria's early foundation, they did not acquire collective citizenship under the Romans, but simply maintained the rights that they had possessed under the Ptolemies.Keywords: Alexandrian Jews; Augustus; Jewish polituema; katoikoi; residence; Roman period