The venality of priesthoods is a well-established phenomenon from the Hellenistic and Roman periods, essentially in Asia Minor. This custom, generally condemned by the Romans, was in use mainly in the cities in order to bail out the local treasury. Talmudic testify to the existence of this phenomenon in Palestine during the great crisis of the 3rd century CE, when serious economic and financial difficulties probably encouraged Jews to serve as priests in pagan temples, and the cities to sell priesthoods in an attempt to alleviate the financial und economic situation.