Surely the great cultural antinomy of ancient times was not between Rome and Jerusalem, but between Hellenism and Judaism?

ECONOMIST: Judaism and the rise of Christianity

As Mr Goodman lists the main features of Rome and Jerusalem (politics, ideology, law), he finds himself observing repeatedly that Romans and Jews reacted to Hellenism in different ways.

ECONOMIST: Judaism and the rise of Christianity

But the main point is this: whether Jerusalem is being compared with Athens or any other centre of Hellenised culture, there is a great deal more for modern scholars to say about the elusive and all-important question of how Hellenism and Judaism interacted as value systems.

ECONOMIST: Judaism and the rise of Christianity