Which writer described Claudius expelling the Jews from Rome?

Which writer described Claudius expelling the Jews from Rome?

• A. Tacitus
• B. Josephus
• C. Pliny the Younger
• D. Suetonius

Answer: (D)

The event is linked to a direct note from a Roman biographer who recounts an action taken by Claudius toward a Jewish community in Rome. In the Life of Claudius, Suetonius states that Claudius expelled the Jews from Rome after disturbances attributed to someone named Chrestus, a reference many scholars connect to the early Christian movement. This makes Suetonius the clearest source naming the actual expulsion as an imperial measure, which is why he is the best answer among the options. Other writers focus on different topics—regional Jewish history, broader Roman affairs, or early Christian letters—but do not provide this specific imperial action as clearly as Suetonius.

The event is linked to a direct note from a Roman biographer who recounts an action taken by Claudius toward a Jewish community in Rome. In the Life of Claudius, Suetonius states that Claudius expelled the Jews from Rome after disturbances attributed to someone named Chrestus, a reference many scholars connect to the early Christian movement. This makes Suetonius the clearest source naming the actual expulsion as an imperial measure, which is why he is the best answer among the options. Other writers focus on different topics—regional Jewish history, broader Roman affairs, or early Christian letters—but do not provide this specific imperial action as clearly as Suetonius.