Jewish and christian interaction from the first to the fifth centuries

Issues relating to the nature and extent of Jewish and Christian interaction in antiquity are as complex as the available evidence is problematic and difficult to interpret. Indeed, the very terms ‘Jewish’ and ‘Christian’ themselves are awkward on several levels, all of which threaten to undermine the project of historical reconstruction. Given that any use of terminology takes as point of departure how the words employed are understood in contemporary discourses, just as much as our historical questions necessarily proceed from the here and now, approaching the problem of Jewish and Christian interaction in antiquity necessarily begins with reflection on what is assumed by the question. In which ways does the question control the way we seek and find our answers? I shall offer here just a few observations before we proceed to discuss the issues at hand.