Spanish Jews

Sephardic Tradition and the former Tarshish.

The Hebrew-Spanish oral tradition means that the Jewish presence in the peninsula dates back to ancient times. For many, this hypothesis was established for the purpose of showing that the Spanish Jews were not involved with the murder of Jesus. For others it is probable if one takes into consideration two factors between them. The first is the early Phoenician presence in the peninsula and the second the relationship that existed between the Israelites and the Phoenicians (who at that time maintained trade relations in the Iberian Peninsula and even some major cities had been founded as Gades, now Cadiz, in the 1100 BC).

In this period of oral tradition especially highlight two beliefs: the first relates the arrival of Jews to the Solomonic period, which identifies with the famous Spain Tarshish mentioned in the books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Jonah Reyes. According to this belief the Jews came to Spain in ships to establish trade relations with the Phoenicians, while the second states that the arrival of Jews dating from 587 BC as a result of the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar.

The Jews in Roman Hispania

Beyond the legends that trace back to the Jewish presence Solomonic period, seems much more reasonable assumption that the first Jewish settlements have taken place after the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus in 70 AD (Jewish Wars), as war against Rome and the disappearance of the temple led to the Jewish Diaspora in the Mediterranean, which could reach Spain in the first century Also, if it is true that during the splendor of the Roman Empire was viewed with dislike Judaism (because of certain characteristic principles of religion as monotheism, circumcision, the Sabbath), enjoyed the status of Tender Religio, a condition that would have allowed the spread. However, this consideration of the arrival Hebrew from the Roman period can not exclude a Jewish presence and in the Phoenician trading colonies.

In terms of specific sources, the Roman period is much more credible than the previous one, since there are some useful evidence to demonstrate effective Jewish presence in the peninsula during this time as trilingual inscriptions of Tarragona and Tortosa, the amphora Hebrew Ibiza and above all a document of great use to our study dated between 301 and 324. It is the Council of Elvira, in Spain has been studied from the point of view of two different traditions: for the Catholic tradition is significant because it represents the first Christian council peninsula to the Jews is the first document that shows their exclusion part of what later will Christian Spain itself. For our study is important because it serves to demonstrate the gestation of the events that lead to the creation of the statutes of purity of blood and the great sectarianism that characterized Spanish society. The Council of Elvira was the first council held by the church Christian Roman Hispania. It took place in the city of Elvira, their dating is uncertain as it is believed to range between 300 and 324 AD

It is worth noting that this lapse of time is related to two important facts: first, the persecution of Diocletian, the second signed the Edict of Milan in 313. The council was attended by representatives of Spain's most important Christian, including the famous Bishop Hosius of Cordova. The main objective of this council was that of laying the foundations of the Christian church in Spain. The proceedings consist of eighty-one canons, all disciplinary in nature, dealing with varied topics as marriage, idolatry, fasting, baptism, excommunication, cemeteries, usury, vigils, mass, relationships with pagans, Jews and heretics. The canons dedicated to the Hebrews are four: the canon sixteen was the prohibition of mixed marriages with Jewish women, given that the consequence of this fact would have been excommunicated for five years forty-nine Canon forbade all Christians to bless your home for a Hebrew. The punishment for such an act was excommunication for life. Canon threatened with excommunication fifty five years to every Christian to sit down to eat at the same table as a Jew.

The canon seventy-eight threatened with five years of excommunication to any Christian who was discovered in acts of adultery with a Jewess.

The Jews in the Visigothic Visigoths initially adopted Arian Christianity, which had been demanded by the emperor of Constantinople in the fourth century to enable them to occupy the lands of the Danube. It initially showed no interest in persecuting Jews. In fact the first document in which the Jews are named corresponds to the period of Alaric II (484-507). It is a legislative body which dates from 506, enacted in Toulouse and entitled Breviarium Alaricianum. This document imposed some restrictions on Jews, including the prohibition of mixed marriages, the building of new synagogues, owning slaves veto Christians, but at the same time they admitted the restoration of synagogues existing and maintaining their own courts to deal with religious matters and some civil matters. It is thought that these laws were never implemented in true severity and effective prosecution of the Jews during Visigothic domination began with the conversion of Recadero (586-601) to Catholicism.

In the year 589, King Recaredo abjured Arianism and became a Catholic, conducting religious unification between Visigoths and Hispano, a union that served to strengthen his kingdom. Thus, during the seventh century the Visigothic kingdom in close collaboration with the Catholic Church adopted a militant attitude against Jewish communities, which thereafter became a minority. In the reign of Sisebuto the increased anti-Jewish laws. The king tried to avoid any form of Jewish proselytism punishable by death and stating that children born to Jewish-Christian union were raised as Christians. Also released all Christians of any agency relationship of the Jews, who were forced to part with their slaves and servants Christians. The anti-Jewish measures were approved by the Sisebuto council of Toledo in 633, causing two effects on the Jewish communities: the conversion and exile. The situation of the talks was not quite easy. Victims of mistrust by being considered to force Christians suffered persecution under the rule of Sisebuto (612-621). In 638, during the reign of Chintilla (636-639) decreed that his kingdom could not live subjects who did not profess Catholicism.

The Jews were forced to make a special oath entitled placitum, which publicly rejected their old religion. Likewise, during the reign of Recesvinto was imposed the death penalty by stoning or burning.

In the year 694, during the reign of Egica (687-702), the Seventeenth Council of Toledo ruled the slavery of the Jews. It is difficult to truly understand which could be the cause of so much repression. The Jews did not really represent a risk to the Visigothic rule. Historically not known revolts led by the Jews, except the dubious (not sure if it was real or supposed) plot against Egica, who served as a pretext for the seventeenth council of Toledo just mentioned. Perhaps the Jewish segregation had a religious basis, since in that period were written several treatises inculcating zeal, as the De Fide Catholica against Judaeo or the ex Isaiae Chisti testimoniis nativitate Isidore of Seville, or History Wambao, the convert Julian of Toledo. Toledo councils also supported discriminatory measures of civil authority and sometimes inspired them.

Despite the harsh measures taken against them, Jews survived, perhaps because of the lack of political cohesion of the Visigoths, usually involved in internal strife.

The Jews in the Andalus. The Muslim invasion initially represented a liberation for the Jews, which the historic Sanchez Albornoz were the fifth column for the Muslim invasion. In the Al-? Ndalus was granted the status of dhimmis, that is, protected as they were considered Christians as "People of the Book?. The Koran admitted the freedom of religion to the people who had a revealed text, as was the case of Jews and Christians had the Bible and the Muslims were called "sons of Abraham?. It suffered from persecutions seen that the exercise of their religion was tolerated in exchange of the payment of special taxes (the Dhiman), however, the dhimmi had to wear dresses, hats and horses different from Muslims, but they are guaranteed life, freedom of religion, ownership of property and a degree of autonomy, since they could have their own courts and laws. The Jews were organized in Jewish communities. Each Aljama was legal and administrative entity consisting of three elements: 1. The civil authority represented by a Council of Elders which dealt with internal matters, collection of taxes and representation to the Royal Government.

2. Courts to adjudicate claims, disputes, complaints, criminal and religious transgressions, which was based on Talmudic law.

3. The synagogue where Talmudic school was. The rabbis were those who interpreted the law and engaged in teaching for children. It is also important to remember that each had its own cemetery Aljama for health reasons that stood outside the walls.

The climate of tolerance was viewed positively by the Jews who collaborated with the Muslim invasions at different times. In Grenada, for example, received custody of the city, while the invaders continued their advance to Toledo. The power in Al-Andalus was represented by the caliphate. The caliph Abd ar-Rahman III of Cordoba was the cultural capital of the West. This period was very prosperous for some Jews, who studied Arabic and founded prosperous communities in Seville, Granada and Cordoba. During the caliphate the Jews could preserve their rituals and traditions and also play important positions in the administration of the Caliphate. Hasdai Ibn Shaprut, personal physician and minister of the Caliph, was the most important Jewish time. Diplomatic missions was in charge of the receipt of Juan de Gorze, sent by the German Emperor Otto I, and negotiated agreements with the ambassadors of Constantine VIII of Byzantium.

The appearance of the Taifa kingdoms (1031-1086) corresponds to the cultural flowering of Spanish Jews, which were refined in areas related to intellectual, administrative, commercial, literary and poetic. Many of them worked as counselors, doctors and politicians in certain reigns, especially in Ibn Nagrela of Granada. It was with invasions Almoravids and Almohads on the Jews were victims of persecution, so they began to seek refuge in the northern Christian kingdoms (Castile and Aragon), in East and North? Africa ending the cycle of The Golden Age of Al-? ndalus.

The Jews in the Christian kingdoms

Fate has led me to a land in which my thoughts and desires tremble with fear, a stammering lips and people talk impenetrable, seeing their faces fell my face [...] are savages in need of a little science.

Moses ben Ezra.

The thought of Moses ben Ezra appreciation goes to show that the Jews had of the Christian kingdoms, synonymous with backwardness, both intellectually and economically. Perhaps it is this appreciation that we explain why early medieval centuries Jewish communities in Catalonia and Leon were almost nonexistent, as they began to grow only at the beginning of XI century as a result of the economic recovery peninsula, mainly in the route of the Camino de Santiago and the conquest of Toledo, in spite of this, in 974, in the mind of Castrogeriz is a provision that the person who commits a crime against a Jew would pay in the same way that if you commit a crime against a Christian . In 1090 the Inter chistianos et Judaeos letter issued by the king of Castile and Leon Alfonso VI gave equal rights to Jews and Christians. These documents serve as witnesses to the existence, albeit minority Jewish citizens in the Christian kingdoms. In the first stage, in which the Jewish presence working for territorial gains, the legal situation of the Jews was very favorable.

The charters (off Sepulveda, Cuenca, Teruel) recognized the equality of rights between Jews and Christians. The arrival of the Almohads coincides with the period of Christian reconquest and is from the year 1146 that begins to feel the presence more widely Sephardic the Christian kingdoms, because as we know during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries the movement of the Christian conquerors to South led to a large Jewish population that was under Muslim rule the Christian kingdoms pass, receiving royal privileges and franchises. As with the Muslims, the Jews were provided as collaborators of Christians in government and territorial administration. Many Jews, as was the case of Joseph ben Solomon, ahead of Alfonso VIII money to finance the expedition that was to culminate in the victory of Las Navas de Tolosa in 1252. The Jewish presence in the Christian kingdoms was very useful because, as shown in the reflection of Moses ben Ezra, the Christian kingdoms were culturally inferior to the level they were accustomed to the Jews, and only from the thirteenth century in both Castile and Aragon began to arise within the Christian population of people trained to carry out the duties and social functions that had been occupied by Jews.

The position of the Jews is affected by decisions taken at the Fourth Lateran Council, which recommends the separation of Jews and Christians. The Sephardic Jews were forced to live in neighborhoods away from the rest of the population, and primarily nocturnal vitando communication between them and Christians. The ghettos were surrounded by walls with little doors that were closed after the Ave Maria. The Hebrews could leave the ghetto on weekdays, but should remain shut on Sundays and religious holidays. The Jews had to wear a sign to be recognized, could not perform mixed marriages could not practice medicine and were forbidden to gather in synagogues. The aim of these measures was to end the "Jewish perfidy?, Which was showing the zeal to deny the obvious, namely that Jesus was the Messiah foretold.