[Avodah] Vayichad Yisro - Disparaging Non-Jews

[Micha Berger via Avodah]

I do not know how much of the 10% of the Roman empire that converted
to Judaism were actually geirim. Subtract out the Tzeduqi and Xian
converts -- and any other sect that actually encouraged conversion,
and how many geirim kehalakhah did the Perushim take in?

BTW, that number comes from Bar Hebreus (a 13th cent Syrian Orthodox
bishop) reporting on a sensus back in the days of Claudius (1st cent CE).
And he said the Jewish population of the empire was 6,944,000 but he
also said the number of actual Romans in the Roman empire was also
6,944,000. (Presumably both numbers are of free adult men only.) The
census of Romans is mentioned in contemporaneous sources, but he was
the first to mention Claudius counting Jews.

IOW, there really isn't a reliable source for the whole idea.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             Strength does not come from winning. Your
micha at aishdas.org        struggles develop your strength When you go
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