The history of the Jews in Iraq has been documented since the Babylonian captivity, which began c. 586 C.E. During this period, Jews who had settled in and around Babylon were quickly assimilated into Babylonian society. Iraqi Jews not only flourished at this time, they also represented the oldest and most significant religious-historic Jewish community in the world. The Talmud dates from this period. In the 20th century, many Jews left the country as a result of persecution and pogroms following the Arab-Israeli war (1948).