The Emperors and the Jews

The Emperors and the JewsThe Emperors and the Jews
Ari Lieberman
Mosaica Press / 355 pp

The Emperors and the Jews is a truly exciting and fascinating presentation on the relationship between the Roman Emperors and the Jews. 

The emperors discussed include Alexander the Great, King Ptolemy, Vespasian, Hadrian Antonius, and more. Interspersed within each chapter are mini-biographies on the great sages and Jewish leaders that were predominate in that era.

For example, in the chapter on Alexander the Great we will have his biography, what life was like in the Roman Empire in his time, and his relationship with the sages. Contrary to popular misconception, not all Roman emperors were anti-semitic and life under Rome wasn't always that bad.

What is truly trailblazing is that Lieberman cites all the Talmudic and rabbinic references where the emperor being presented is mentioned along with the traditional commentaries. This makes the work into a beautiful synthesis between Jewish and non-Jewish perspectives on the person. Indeed, there is a good balance and somewhat brave presentation in areas where the Jewish narrative does not necessarily correspond to the more accepted historical narrative.

Lieberman quotes both general Jewish and rabbinic sources as well as non-Jewish sources to offer a more well-rounded picture on the topic at hand. The Rabbinic sources, such as the commentaries on the Talmudic excerpts, are also cited in their Hebrew original in the Hebrew appendix. Incredibly useful!

There is not much more to say. Although I would have loved to see some provocative discussions on the historical accuracy of the Talmudic excerpts and maybe a *bit* more of a thorough biography on the sages cited (a la Benny Lau), anyone who wants to know more about the Roman Empire, the emperors, and the Jewish would will simply love this easy to read book. This work is crystal clear, exciting, and enjoyable. A real grand-slam.

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