“Hellenistic Judaism” is a modern term for those forms of the ancient Jewish religion and life that were characterized by inclusion in the phenomenon of Hellenism. Hellenism is the diverse interaction of Greek civilization with the cultures of the Eastern Mediterranean and the ancient East, which began at the end of the 4th century BC. e. (during the conquests of Alexander the Great) and continued until the first few centuries AD. As such, throughout its long history, Hellenism showed signs of Greek, Roman and local influence, although it was, in essence, a dynamic fusion of old and new elements, varying from place to place and constantly evolving over time. Hellenization is a variety of processes by which members of local cultures assimilated (to varying degrees) to the social patterns and customs that arose during this connection. The manifestations of Hellenization were, in particular, the use of the Greek language or Koine, as well as various trends in literature, philosophy, religion, art, education and technology related to the cultural heritage of ancient Greece.
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- was a form of Judaism in the ancient world that combined Jewish religious tradition with elements of Greek culture. Before the fall of the Roman Empire and the Muslim conquests of the Eastern Mediterranean, the main centers of Hellenistic Judaism were Alexandria and Northern Syria, the two main Greek urban settlements of the Middle East and North Africa, both founded at the end of the 4th century BC. e. in connection with the conquests of Alexander the Great. Hellenistic Judaism also existed in Jerusalem during the Second Temple Period , where there was a conflict between Hellenizers and traditionalists .
- For its part, Judaism influenced the Hellenistic world, in which it, in various forms and manifestations, became widespread. The Jerusalem Temple is becoming a center of attraction not only for the large Jewish diaspora, but also for hundreds of thousands of Judaic devotees throughout the Hellenistic world. During this period, the priestly class, in whose hands the worship was concentrated, loses its leading position, and religious leadership passes to lawyers and sages.