Editing Conversion to Judaism (section)

== In ancient times ==
In antiquity, conversion to Judaism appears to have been a voluntary and individual process, rather than the result of organized [[missionary]] efforts.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Gruen |first=Erich S. |title=The First Jewish Revolt: Archaeology, History and Ideology |date=2002 |publisher=Routledge |others=J. Andrew Overman |isbn=978-0-203-16744-1 |editor-last=Berlin |editor-first=Andrea M. |edition= |location=Abingdon, Oxon |pages=32 |chapter=Roman perspectives on the Jews in the age of the Great Revolt |editor-last2=Overman |editor-first2=J. Andrew}}</ref> While some non-Jews did convert—both men and women—because they found Judaism or elements of it appealing, no unambiguous evidence suggests that Jews actively sought to convert others.<ref name=":1" /> The question of Jewish missionary activity remains debated, but existing evidence does not support the notion that Jews deliberately approached non-Jews with the goal of turning them into Jews.<ref name=":1" />

[[Louis Feldman]]'s views on active Jewish missionizing have changed.{{Explain|reason=changed from what earlier views?|date=December 2023}} While viewing classical Judaism as being receptive to converts, especially from the second century BC through the first century AD, he points to a lack of either missionizing tracts or records of the names of rabbis who sought converts as evidence for the lack of active Jewish missionizing.<ref name="Feldman">{{cite book |author=Louis H. Feldman |title=Judaism And Hellenism Reconsidered |publisher=Brill |year=2006}}</ref>{{rp|205–06}} Feldman maintains that conversion to Judaism was common and the Jewish population was large both within the Land of Israel and in the Diaspora.<ref name="Feldman" />{{rp|183–203, 206}} Other historians believe that conversion during the Roman era was limited in number and did not account for much of the Jewish population growth, due to various factors such as the illegality of male conversion to Judaism in the Roman world from the mid-second century. Another factor that made conversion difficult in the Roman world was the halakhic requirement of [[Brit milah|circumcision]], a requirement that proselytizing [[Circumcision controversy in early Christianity|Christianity quickly dropped]]. The [[Fiscus Judaicus]], a tax imposed on Jews in 70&nbsp;AD and relaxed to exclude [[Christians]] in 96&nbsp;AD, also limited Judaism's appeal.<ref name="docs.google.com">{{cite web |last=Goodman |first=Martin |date=26 February 2010 |title=Secta and natio |url=https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Ib2suAQgXxDFZ5zLdag9DMTFCaDPkJrDwResH1I_J4I/edit |access-date=2 October 2013 |work=The Times Literary Supplement}}</ref>

=== Early debate on requirement for circumcision ===
According to ''[[The Jewish Encyclopedia]]'' article on circumcision,<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |title=Circumcision |at=Circumcision of Proselytes |url=https://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/4391-circumcision#anchor8 |access-date=2025-05-06 |encyclopedia=Jewish Encyclopedia}}</ref> in the first century AD, before the [[Mishnah]] was edited, the requirement for circumcision of proselytes was an open issue between the [[Zealots]] and liberal parties in ancient Israel. [[Joshua ben Hananiah]] argued that besides accepting Jewish beliefs and laws, a prospective convert to Judaism must undergo immersion in a ''mikveh''. In contrast, [[Eliezer ben Hurcanus]] makes circumcision a condition for the conversion. A similar controversy between the [[Shammai]]tes and the [[Hillel the Elder|Hillelites]] is given regarding a proselyte [[aposthia|born without a foreskin]]: the former demanding the spilling of a drop of blood symbolic of the Brit Milah, thereby entering into the covenant; the latter declaring it to be unnecessary.<ref>Babylonian Talmud, Shabbat 135a and Gerim 2:2, cited in ''The Way of the Boundary Crosser: An Introduction to Jewish Flexidoxy''. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2005. 214-19.</ref>

In discussions about the necessity of circumcision for those born of a Jewish mother, lending some support to the need for circumcision of converts, the [[Midrash]] states: "If thy sons accept My Godhead [by undergoing circumcision] I shall be their God and bring them into the land; but if they do not observe My covenant in regard either to circumcision or to the [[Shabbat|Sabbath]], they shall not enter the [[Promised Land|land of promise]]" ([[Midrash]] Genesis Rabbah xlvi). "The [[Godfearers|Sabbath-keepers who are not circumcised]] are intruders, and deserve punishment" ([[Midrash]] Deut. Rabbah i).

However, the opposing view is supported in the [[Babylonian Talmud]] by [[Joshua ben Hananiah]]: "A male convert who has been immersed but not circumcised, or circumcised but not immersed, is a convert."<ref>Babylonian Talmud, Yevamot 46a and Gerim 1:6, cited in ''The Way of the Boundary Crosser: An Introduction to Jewish Flexidoxy''. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2005. 214-19</ref> Note this view is later rejected by the Talmud.

[[Josephus]] in ''[[Antiquities of the Jews]]'', Book 20 Chapter 2, recorded the story of [[Izates II|King Izates]] of [[Adiabene]] who decided to follow the [[613 Mitzvot|Law of Moses]] at the advice of a Jewish merchant named Ananias. He was going to get circumcised, but his mother, Helen, who herself embraced the Jewish customs, advised against it on the grounds that the subjects would not stand to be ruled by someone who followed such "strange and foreign rites". Ananias likewise advised against it, on the grounds that worship of God was superior to circumcision ([[Robert Eisenman]] in ''James the Brother of Jesus'' claims that Ananias is [[Paul the Apostle]], who held similar views, although this is a novel interpretation lacking support in mainstream scholarship) and that God would forgive him for fear of his subjects. So Izates decided against it. However, later, "a certain other Jew that came out of Galilee, whose name was Eleazar," who was well versed in the Law, convinced him that he should, on the grounds that it was one thing to read the Law and another thing to practice it, and so he did. Once Helen and Ananias found out, they were struck by great fear of the possible consequences, but as Josephus put it, God looked after Izates. As his reign was peaceful and blessed, Helen visited the [[Second Temple]] to thank God, and since there was a terrible famine at the time, she brought much food and aid to the people of Jerusalem.<ref>{{cite book |author=Josephus F |access-date=2011-01-20 |url=http://sacred-texts.com/jud/josephus/ant-20.htm |title=Antiquities of the Jews - Book XX Chapter 2}}</ref>