Editing Jewish identity (section)

=== Late antiquity ===
Jewish identity underwent a significant shift in the centuries that followed the [[Siege of Jerusalem (70 CE)|destruction of the Temple]] in 70 CE. The initial conception of the Jews as an ''ethnos'', albeit one with a distinctive religious culture, gradually shifted to that of a religious community that also identified as a nation.<ref name=":1" />

In the aftermath of the [[First Jewish–Roman War]], the [[Fiscus Judaicus]] was imposed on all Jews in the Roman Empire, replacing the annual [[Half shekel|half-shekel tribute]] that Jews paid to the Temple in Jerusalem. It appears that the Romans chose to use Jewish religious behavior rather than Jewish ancestry to determine tax liability, and this Roman interference in Jewish tax-collection may have prompted this transformation in Jewish identity.<ref name=":1" /> The process was accelerated by the Christianization of the Roman Empire. In [[Christian theology]], ethnic identity held little significance, and Jews were primarily valued for their religious heritage, seen as foundational to the development of [[New Covenant theology|the new covenant]]. This ideological framework further influenced perceptions of Jewish identity, emphasizing religious rather than ethnic or national aspects.<ref name=":1" />