Diaspora

Definitions of Diaspora

Diaspora derives from the Greek verb diaspeirein, which is composed of two parts: dia “about, across, over” and speirein “to scatter.” Like other words derived from the same root, including spore, sperm, and spread, diaspora conveys agricultural images of the dispersal and sowing of seeds and their natural reproductive process.

The ancient Greeks used the word diaspora to describe the colonization of Asia Minor and the Mediterranean during the Archaic period (800–500 BCE). The Greeks expanded their territories and created a diaspora through military conquest, colonization, and migration. Displacement of Greek-speaking peoples also occurred as a result of poverty, overpopulation, and interstate war. In antiquity, the Greek historian Thucydides used the term diaspora to describe the exile of the population of Aegina after its destruction. In this particular case, however, the rupture and scattering of the “parent” city did not produce an “offspring,” a new settlement that clearly traced its heritage back to its ancestor.

When capitalized, Diaspora refers specifically to Jewish communities and the historical events that led to their dispersion. The origins of the Jewish Diaspora are linked to the capture of Jerusalem and the destruction of its First Temple in 586 BCE. At this time, a sizable number of the nobility and leading citizens were deported to Babylon. Their exile lasted until 538 BCE, when the Persian king Cyrus the Great permitted groups of Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their temple. The completion of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in [Page 222]516 BCE marked the end of the prophesized 70 years of captivity. In an early Greek translation of the Torah (the Septuagint), the word Diaspora referred to the Babylonian exile, as well as to other instances in the Old Testament that describe the scattering of peoples.

Since the Babylonian exile, there have always been a large number of Jews living outside the boundaries of their ancient homeland. Around 250 BCE, the Greek-speaking world began using Diaspora to refer to the large, well-established Jewish communities in the Middle East and eastern Mediterranean regions, many of which were centers of culture and learning. With the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in 70 CE and Judean defeat by the Romans, the Jews lost their homeland and religious center. The Jewish Diaspora became more widespread, with communities established in many areas of Asia and Europe. In modern times, Jews have migrated to the Americas, South Africa, and Australia. Today, the capitalized term Diaspora still refers to Jewish communities that exist outside Palestine or modern Israel.

...