Enda80

Were the Jews known for scientific acumen in ancient times, say the lst century CE?

ohwilleke

Not compared to the Greeks and the Egyptians.

And, later on, after the fall of Rome, it was the Arabs who were known for science.

Then, it was the Northern Italians in the Renaissance.

Modern associations of Jews with science are probably most connected to the role Jewish merchants played in returning knowledge which has been preserved in the East and Middle East to the West.

Anglican

No, the ancient Jewish kingdoms prioduced as far as I know nothing technologically of their own, borrowing their knowledge from surrounding cultures. Infact the association between Jews and science only starts circa 1900, when the 2nd and 3rd generation descendnats Jewish immigrants from the East (though for the most part they by this time were not religiously Jewish coming from non-observant or Christian-concert backgrounds) in Germany and surrounding areas came to dominate certain areas of science (particualrly quantum theory and relativity). The reason for this are probably due to the unique social conditons that existed in Germany at that time, which encouraged radical thinking among this etho-social group (this was also the time that Jewish figure came to dominate radical poltics in Germany)

Anat

In Talmudic times astrology was considered a semi-harmless hoby, that provided topics for conversation while visiting public baths, where discussion of religious topics was considered inappropriate.