Dispersion

1 Pet. i. 1. and Jam. i. 1.DISPERSION. St. Peter and St. James wrote to the Jews of the Dispersion, that is to say, who were dispersed in the different Countries of the East, such as Pontus, Galatia, Bithynia, Asia, and Cappadocia; and St. James in a manner still more uncertain, To the twelve Tribes which are scattered abroad. Not that all the Tribes were then dispersed into the different parts of the world: we know that Judæa was as yet filled with Jews; for these two Epistles were wrote before the war between the Jews and Romans: but after the several Captivities caused by the Kings of Assyria and Chaldea, there was always, particularly in the East, an infinite number of Jews of all the Tribes dispersed here and there. This was called The Dispersion. For example; Nehemiah prays to God to collect together the Dispersion of his people, Congrega Dispersionem nostram. And the Jews said of Jesus Christ, who threatned to leave them: Will he John vii. 35.go unto the dispersed among the Gentiles? See the Articles CAPTIVITY and TRANSPLANTING.

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