entho-geographic meaning of Judeans in Greek

Did you try chat bots for hints? From Bard/Gemini

[quote]

In the first century, Greeks used the word "Ioudaios" (plural: "Ioudaioi") to refer to Judeans, which primarily carried two connotations:

1. Geographical: Primarily, Ioudaios referred to people from the region of Judea, encompassing not only the historical territory of Judah but also surrounding areas like Samaria. This usage reflected the Roman and Greek administrative divisions of the time.

2. Ethno-religious: In many contexts, "Ioudaios" also conveyed an ethno-religious meaning. It encompassed people who were descended from the ancient Israelites and adhered to the Jewish religion, including their customs, traditions, and laws.

However, it's important to note that distinctions and nuances existed in how the term was used:

• Differentiation between ethnicity and religion: While often used interchangeably, some writers, particularly Jewish authors like Josephus, differentiated between "Ioudaios" (ethnic Jew) and "those who follow the Jewish customs" (religious adherent).
• Negative connotations: In some cases, particularly in later Greek and Roman texts, "Ioudaios" could carry negative connotations, associated with stereotypes and prejudices against the Jewish people. This negativity is especially observed in certain literary works and historical accounts.

Here are some additional points to consider:

• Alternative terms: While "Ioudaios" was the most common term, Greeks also used other terms like "Ioudaîos anthrópos" (Judean man) and "Ioudaía" (Judah) to refer to various aspects related to Judea and its people.
• Evolution of the term: The meaning and usage of "Ioudaios" continued to evolve in later centuries, becoming increasingly associated with religious identity as Christianity developed.

For further research, exploring sources like:

• "Ioudaios" article on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ioudaios.

See The Beginnings of Jewishness: Boundaries, Varieties, Uncertainties (Hellenistic Culture and Society) (Volume 31): Cohen, Shaye J. D.: 9780520226937: Amazon.com: Books

way this term has came from an ethnological and anthropological point of view.

To the best of my knowledge, the main difference between linguistics and anthropological linguistics is that the latter is more interested in the actual use of a term across ethnic and social group boundaries and, perhaps, a bit more interested in the how/why of borrowings. What facts are you looking for that are not covered by the answers above?

How does race play a role in the Jews in the Gospels? 

When did the concept of race develop? It is not an old concept - even the word with a related meaning is 16th century or so.

What is the geographic distribution of the Jews in the New Testament World?

What makes you think this information is available? Check the dates of Jewish populations in China, India, Ethiopia, and South Africa? Then consider possible sources of information.

How did Jewishness become a form of inherented religon in the New Testament era?

What makes this a reasonable assumption? How was tribal membership determined in Mosaic times? in Davidic times? in the return from Exile? What is the trajectory of this concept?

Which came first Judaism or Christianity?

You have to have a specific definition of Judaism for this question to even be reasonable. Even then, assuming you mean Rabbinic Judaism, is it reasonable to consider it to have a specific start date or is it a gradual development which the diaspora suddenly forced into prominence?

Sorry, Christian, but you need to spend more time forming your questions before asking them. And you need to think through whether or not it is reasonable to think an answer exists. For example, instead of "What is the geographic distribution of the Jews in the New Testament World?" ask something like "Where in the Mediterranean basin were there Jewish communities in the 1st century AD?" Obviously, we won't know them all - only the major ones - but there is enough information to get a sense of the situation. Or, instead of "How did Jewishness become a form of inherited religion in the New Testament era?" ask "When did Jewish become an ethnic as well as a religious term?" Put that into Bard/Gemini and you will get an interesting answer showing that lineage became less important in the diaspora rather than more important.

Interestingly, several Bibles use 'race' ... and most (all?) are circa 1800s from greek that's not really specific.

race (n.2)

[people of common descent] 1560s, "people descended from a common ancestor, class of persons allied by common ancestry," from French race, earlier razza "race, breed, lineage, family" (16c.), possibly from Italian razza, which is of unknown origin (cognate with Spanish raza, Portuguese raça). Etymologists say it has no connection with Latin radix "root," though they admit this might have influenced the "tribe, nation" sense, and race was a 15c. form of radix in Middle English (via Old French räiz, räis). Klein suggests the words derive from Arabic ra's "head, beginning, origin" (compare Hebrew rosh). 

Original senses in English included "wines with characteristic flavor" (1520), "group of people with common occupation" (c. 1500), and "generation" (1540s). The meaning developed via the sense of "tribe, nation, or people regarded as of common stock" to "an ethnical stock, one of the great divisions of mankind having in common certain physical peculiarities" by 1774 (though as OED points out, even among anthropologists there never has been an accepted classification of these). In 19c. also "a group regarded as forming a distinctive ethnic stock" (German, Greeks, etc.).

Just being a Negro doesn't qualify you to understand the race situation any more than being sick makes you an expert on medicine. [Dick Gregory, 1964]

In mid-20c. U.S. music catalogues, it means "Negro." Old English þeode meant both "race, folk, nation" and "language;" as a verb, geþeodan meant "to unite, to join." Race-consciousness "social consciousness," whether in reference to the human race or one of the larger ethnic divisions, is attested by 1873; race-relations is attested by 1897. Race theory "assertion that some racial groups are endowed with qualities deemed superior" is by 1894.

A classic case of modern translators/readers using words and categories anachronistically -- one of my pet peeves. An education in a Biblical field should require a course in the history of ideas. It changes one's perspective on the Reformation dramatically. (Perspective, folks, perspective ... I am saying nothing and implying nothing about the theological positions reached.)

[:D]