Palestine under Pompey in the first century B.C. At this time there occurred a general dispersion of the Jews throughout the whole Roman Empire and even into lands beyond Rome’s domain. Robinson holds that there were at least 150 Jewish colonies throughout the Empire of Rome by the time of Christ’s appearance. In most of these Jewish communities there were synagogues which were in close relationship with the temple at Jerusalem and paid revenue to the Temple. Though these synagogues were much more