Diaspora refers to a population that is scattered across regions separate from its geographic place of origin. The term is often used in reference to people who identify with a particular culture or ethnicity and have migrated to other parts of the world. The word originally referred to the Jews living outside Palestine or modern Israel. The Jewish Diaspora began in 70 AD when the Romans began to actively drive Jews from their homeland. However, the term has since expanded to include other groups, such as the African and Armenian diasporas. While diaspora is more than simply migration, it is an idea that helps to explain the world created by migration. The term carries religious, philosophical, political, and eschatological connotations, as Jews perceive a special relationship between the land of Israel and themselves.