Iraqi Jews constitute one of the world's oldest and most historically significant Jewish communities. The Jewish community in Mesopotamia , known in Jewish sources as " Babylonia ", traces its origins to the early sixth century BCE, when a large number of Judeans from the defeated Kingdom of Judah were exiled to Babylon in several waves by the Neo-Babylonian Empire. During this time, the Temple in Jerusalem was rebuilt , significant changes in Jewish religious tradition were made, and the Judeans were led by individuals who had returned from Babylonia, such as Zerubbabel , Ezra and Nehemiah.
Though not much is known about the community in Babylonia during the Second Temple and Mishnaic periods , scholars believe the community was still thriving at that time. The Jewish community of Babylonia rose to prominence as the center of Jewish scholarship following the decline of the Jewish population in the Land of Israel in the 3rd century CE. Estimates often place the Babylonian Jewish population of the third to seventh centuries at around one million, making it the largest Jewish diaspora community of that period.
The Mongol invasion and Islamic discrimination under the caliphates in the Middle Ages eventually led to the decline of the region's Jewish community. The community established modern schools in the second half of the 19th century. The Iraqi Jewish community formed a homogeneous group, maintaining communal Jewish identity, culture and traditions.
The Jews in Iraq distinguished themselves by the way they spoke in their old Arabic dialect, Judeo-Arabic ; the way they dressed; observation of Jewish rituals, for example, the Sabbath and holidays ; and kashrut. In the 20th century, Iraqi Jews played an important role in the early days of Iraq's independence. According to Avi Shlaim , they were deeply integrated into the wider Iraqi society, culturally and linguistically.
Following the ArabβIsraeli War , persecution against Jews culminated in increased government oppression and cultural discrimination. The Iraqi government, while maintaining a public policy of discrimination against Iraqi Jews, simultaneously forbade Jews from emigrating to Israel out of concern for strengthening the nascent Israeli state.
