History 282 Jews in Medieval Christendom
Settlement Patterns From Mediterranean Lands northwards –Spain –Italy Jews as merchants
Traditional Explanations Jews as intermediaries between empires –Pirenne thesis Jews’ shared legal system Ethnicity as an economic advantage
Simon Kusnetz
The Jews. Their History, Culture and Religion Edited by Louis Finkelstein 3rd edition, 1960; reprinted 1979 DS102.4.F5 1979
Minority by Choice Fully Manned Economy Marginalization Concentration High Risk and High Reward
Charters Jews as Urbanizing Element Charters are negotiated Rudiger of Speyer 1084 – an/NewCity/Charters.html power shifts will challenge Jews’ position directed towards frontiers
Jews as Moneylenders what are the advantages to Jews? what are the advantages to non-Jewish society? –source of capital –control of “illegal” activity
Inevitable Tensions Visigothic Spain - Jews within diverse Christian society Papal Protections (Gregory the Great) Ethnicity focuses social animosity The Limits of religious tolerance Importation of Jew Badge Black Death well poisoning
Blood Libel & Magic Ascription of child murder Male, innocent, blood Host desecration Projection of social tensions
Ghettoization Origins of the term … and the phenomenon The ghetto as protection The ghetto as inclusive The ghetto as marginalizing
Expulsion England 1290 France Spain 1492 Survival in German and Italian lands
Defining Anti-Semitism modern word based on modern ethnographies and biologies anti-Judaism? religious ideology; social and economic reality kings and popes, priests and peasants -- and burghers
H
Protestant Reformation
Martin Luther d Christ was Born a Jew Later hostility
Conversos Marranos, New Christians, anusim Racial hostility Inquisition -- not re Jews Portuguese conversion
Burning of the Talmud Medieval occurrences Banning in 16th century Reaction to printing?