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"You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit anyone of another nation, (Acts 10:28 ESV)
Can someone offer a citation from Torah or other Jewish works that may have influenced 1st century Judaism in regards to these "laws" on Jew/Gentile association that Peter speaks of? This must have been a fairly prevalent "law" for Peter to expect Gentiles to know as well, i.e., "you yourselves know..."
I would say that it is from the Tanach.
*Ezra 9:11 Which thou hast commanded by thy servants the prophets, saying, The land, unto which ye go to possess it, is an unclean land with the filthiness of the people of the lands, with their abominations, which have filled it from one end to another with their uncleanness.
*12 Now therefore give not your daughters unto their sons, neither take their daughters unto your sons, nor seek their peace or their wealth for ever: that ye may be strong, and eat the good of the land, and leave it for an inheritance to your children for ever.
They were commanded not to marry, nor seek the peace or welfare of the Gentiles.
While other commentators hinted at what Robertson wrote in his commentary, Robertson answered your question directly:
The old form of ἀθεμιτος [athemitos] was ἀθεμιστος [athemistos] from θεμιστο [themisto] (θεμιζω, θεμις [themizō, themis], law custom) and α [a] privative. In the N. T. only here and 1 Peter 4:3 (Peter both times). But there is no O. T. regulation forbidding such social contact with Gentiles, though the rabbis had added it and had made it binding by custom. There is nothing more binding on the average person than social custom. On coming from the market an orthodox Jew was expected to immerse to avoid defilement (Edersheim, Jewish Social Life, pp. 26–28; Taylor’s Sayings of the Jewish Fathers, pp. 15, 26, 137, second edition).
Robertson, A. T. (1933). Word Pictures in the New Testament (Ac 10:28). Nashville, TN: Broadman Press.
Note the word translated unlawful here in Acts isn't the normal word for unlawful used when related to Mosaic law. 1 Peter 4:3 uses the word associated with idolatry.
Devout Jews would not enter into idolaters’ homes lest they unwittingly participate in idolatry; they apparently extended this custom to not entering any Gentile’s home. It was considered unclean to eat Gentiles’ food or to drink their wine; although this purity regulation did not prohibit all social contact, it prevented dining together at banquets and made much of the Roman world feel that Jews were antisocial. Cornelius is undoubtedly accustomed to accepting reluctant (10:22) snubs, so Peter’s statement in 10:28 would mean much to him.
Keener, C. S. (1993). The IVP Bible background commentary: New Testament (Ac 10:27–29). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
Here are quotes with references:
Peter’s statement makes two moves toward interpreting his vision, one dramatic, one subtle. The dramatic move is that Peter perceives that his vision was about more than clean and unclean foods; it involves proper social interaction with persons—“no one should call a person impure or contaminated.” Gentile hostility toward Jews was rooted in part in Jewish adherence to dietary regulations and purity customs (Tyson 1987, 627). This view is born out by Jub. 22.16: “Keep yourself separate from the nations, and do not eat with them; and do not imitate their rites, nor associate yourself with them” (for a Gentile’s perspective, see Juvenal, Sat. 14.104–105; Tacitus, Hist. 5.5). Thus to move from the issue of food to persons would have seemed natural to the audience.
Parsons, M. C. (2008). Acts (p. 150). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.
Peter, in v. 28, striking what seems to be a stern note, advises the assembled group that it was taboo for a Jew to associate with or visit a foreigner, that is, if he or she wished to remain a clean Jew in good standing. The word αθεμιτον here could be translated “unlawful,” but it probably has its weaker sense of “taboo” or “strongly frowned upon.” There was no formal law that strictly forbade Jews from associating with Gentiles, it was just that they had to be prepared to pay a price for doing so, the price being becoming ritually unclean. Texts written by Roman authors such as Juvenal (Sat. 14.104ff.) and Tacitus (Hist. 5.5) show that Jews did regularly refuse to associate with Gentiles, and were objects of suspicion because of their “antisocial” behavior. Jubilees 22:16 expresses the sentiment of many early Jews: “Keep yourself separate from the nations, and do not eat with them; and do not imitate their rituals, nor associate with them.”
Having reminded his audience that they themselves are aware that a Jew shouldn’t be visiting or associating with Gentiles as he is now doing, Peter contrasts this approach with what God has now shown him. The second half of his opening remarks to the gathering in Cornelius’s house begins with καμοι, and the και probably has some adversative force—“but to me, God has shown.…” Here it becomes evident that Peter has now concluded that his vision was not just about food but also or perhaps primarily about persons. No person should be called common or unclean.
Footnote 106 references John 4:9 showing Jewish attitudes toward Samaritans.
Witherington, B., III. (1998). The Acts of the Apostles: a socio-rhetorical commentary (p. 353). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
As I understand the Jewish Encyclopedia article cited below it appears that this was what is referred to as a Gezerah.:
A rabbinical enactment issued as a guard or preventive measure; also a prohibition or restriction generally; from the root "gazar" (to cut; to decide). The term is especially applied to a negative ordinance ("taḳḳanah" being applied to a positive one) which, the Rabbis instituted as a guard or a fence ("geder") to a Biblical precept. A gezerah was instituted when occasion demanded, either on account of internal laxity with regard to the laws or because of some external danger that threatened neglect in the observance of Biblical injunctions. Thus, on one occasion at a meeting of rabbis eighteen gezerot or restrictions were ordained, some of which aimed at a better observance of the laws of cleanliness, while others had as their aim the restraining of too close a contact with the Gentiles. Among these gezerot were included prohibitions against tasting the bread, oil, or wine of the Gentiles, and against intermarriage or improper relations between Jews and non-Jews (Shab. 17a; 'Ab. Zarah 36a). An individual rabbi with his court sometimes saw fit to institute a gezerah; but such an ordinance was not always universally accepted by the people, and repeated enactments had to be made in order to enforce it (Ḥul. 6a, with regard to the prohibition against the use of the wine of the Kuthites)...
As I understand the intended use of these prohibitions was to provide concrete, practical practices that would put a distance between the Jew and the danger of transgression. What seems to have happened in reality was that these additions diverted focus from the spiritual meaning of the precepts to external conformity, which the prophets decried.
The rationale for not eating with gentiles probably arose from prohibitions in Jerusalem designed to prevent the Jews from accidentally eating unclean foods and/or foods offered to idols. We see the tension around this issue all throughout 1 Corinthians.
