[malakhi]

His ministry was to the Jews and the biggest concentration of Jews in the world were not in Rome or even Italy, but in the area of Judea - until the time of the destruction of Jerusalem. OOPS.

Don't know if this has any relevence here, but in the first century C.E., the largest concentration of Jews in the world was NOT Judea. The Diaspora began with the fall of the First Temple. When the Persians conquered Assyria and allowed the Jews to return to Israel, only a portion of the Jews returned. During Roman times, there were Jews in every significant city in the empire. The largest numerical concentration of Jews in the first century, though, remained in the Persian Empire, in the land formerly known as Assyria. That is, Babylon. It was the Jewish community there which compiled the Babylonian Talmud. Baghdad remained the center of Jewish learning until medieval times.

[Havoc]

Thank you Angelo. I rather meant the region more than the physical constraints of its borders, but, you drive the point home better than I did.

[RobbyS]

And Jews as far away as China. Years and Years ago, Life Magazine had a cover--I think--showing the faces of Jews around the world. Every sort of face from Swedish to Ethiopians to Chinese.