Part 3 – Sephardic Jews of Spain
711A.D. will always be remembered as the Golden Age for Jews in Spain
The Jews dispersed all over Spain, multiplying in number and prospering in every area of life; many Jews from the surrounding European countries moved to Spain, many learnt the Arab language taking office in government, commerce and finance. They excelled in medicine, astronomy, mathematics, philology, literature, theology and philosophy. They served as diplomats, court advisers, money lenders and established libraries and centres for traditional Jewish learning, playing a vital role in the peninsula’s history whilst Christians and Moors contended for control of the country. The Christians were slowly regaining the land, it would take 800 years.
A dynamic community developed in Al-Andalus (in the South of Spain) with thousands of Jewish migrants from Morocco and Egypt, turning Cordoba into one of the main cultural centres of the Middle Ages. Immense libraries opened to the public, Hebrew grammar was developed and the language revived; they built synagogues, traded in silk, leather, textiles, grain, fruit, spices and cattle. The kingdom flourished
Jews retained their belief system whilst living as loyal citizens and as active participants in Spanish society, studying Arabic and translating many of their astrological, mathematical and astronomical writings into Spanish. Arabic numbers replaced Roman numerals and paper was manufactured in Europe for the first time.
As Spanish Jews (Sephardim) grew richer, many of them entered into Christian courts, jealousy and anti-Semitism increased and began to spread over the Iberian Peninsula. The Catholic hierarchy continued to teach that the Jews were responsible for Jesus’ death . They were falsely charged for treason, rumours began to spread about their intentions to convert the people to their Jewish customs and traditions and accusations of Christian child kidnapping for the practice of Satanic rites (blood libels) grew each day. Conflicts broke out and they were forced to live in ‘Juderias’ Jewish parts of town, most of which had a wall surrounding them with gates which were kept locked at night. They had to wear distinct badges to indicate that they were Jewish if walking outside of the walled city. Judaism became prohibited.