Jewish Rome Through the Ages – History, Wars, and Neighborhood Maps

 

Timeline of Jewish Demographics in Rome

From the 2nd century BCE through the modern era—how wars and policies shifted the size and distribution of Rome’s Jewish community.

Summary: Rome’s Jewish population was proportionally largest before and during the early Imperial period. That status ended after the First Jewish–Roman War (66–73 CE), after which the community remained culturally significant but a smaller share of the city overall.

Contents

1. 2nd Century BCE – Arrival in Rome
2. 63 BCE – Pompey’s Conquest of Judea
3. 1st Century CE – Early Imperial Rome
4. 66–73 CE – First Jewish–Roman War
5. 2nd Century CE – Bar Kokhba Revolt
6. Late Antiquity (3rd–5th Centuries)
7. Middle Ages (6th–15th Centuries)
8. 1555 – Creation of the Roman Ghetto
9. 19th Century – Emancipation
10. 20th Century
11. Historical Map & Legend

2nd Century BCE – Arrival in Rome

Context

Jews first came to Rome from the eastern Mediterranean as merchants, diplomats, and later captives from wars in Judea.

Demographics

Small but growing community along the Tiber, particularly in the Trastevere district.

Key Event

161 BCE—an official Judean delegation visits the Roman Senate.

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63 BCE – Pompey’s Conquest of Judea

Effect: Thousands of Jewish captives brought to Rome as slaves. Many were later freed, forming a distinct community that grew through trade and migration.

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1st Century CE – Early Imperial Rome

Demographics: Jewish population estimated in the tens of thousands, possibly 5–10% of the city’s population.

Status: Visible community with multiple synagogues; relatively free to practice religion under certain emperors.

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66–73 CE – First Jewish–Roman War

Key Turning Point: Siege and destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE by Titus. Massive influx of Jewish captives to Rome (forced labor for public works, including the Colosseum). While the community grew numerically in the short term, the war marked the start of tighter Roman controls.

Aftermath: Jews were heavily taxed (Fiscus Judaicus) and politically marginalized.

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2nd Century CE – Bar Kokhba Revolt (132–135 CE)

Effect: Harsh repression of Jews across the empire. Deportations and bans on entering Jerusalem further increased diaspora numbers in Rome, but integration and intermarriage diluted distinct identity.

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Late Antiquity (3rd–5th Centuries)

Demographics: Still a significant minority but no longer close to the largest single group. Christianization of Rome reduced Jewish civic rights.

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Middle Ages (6th–15th Centuries)

Key Changes: Papal dominance over Rome; Jews lived under special restrictions but maintained continuous presence. Community concentrated in certain neighborhoods, active in trade and medicine.

Demographics: Proportion dropped sharply due to Christian population growth and occasional expulsions.

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1555 – Creation of the Roman Ghetto

Event: Pope Paul IV issued a papal bull confining Jews to a walled quarter.

Effect: Economic restrictions and segregation limited growth. Population: By the 17th century, about 3,000–4,000 Jews lived in the Ghetto—small relative to the city’s total.

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19th Century – Emancipation

Napoleonic Period: Ghetto briefly abolished, then reinstated after papal restoration.

1870: The Kingdom of Italy captured Rome; Ghetto walls demolished; Jews gained full citizenship. Population: ~5,000–6,000.

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20th Century

Fascist Era: 1938 racial laws stripped Jews of rights; 1943 Nazi occupation led to deportations to Auschwitz.

Post‑War: Community rebuilt but remained a small minority—today about 13,000–15,000 in a city of ~2.8 million.

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Historical Map & Legend

Here is a map showing Rome’s Jewish neighborhoods from the 1st century CE through the Ghetto era—tying major wars and policies to physical space in the city.

Map: Jewish neighborhoods in Rome across periods (label colors match the legend).

Legend: Color key for neighborhoods and the Tiber River.

© Janice Coffey. Educational, non‑commercial use permitted with attribution.