Judaism/history:bible To 1492 Unlike The Pioneerin

Judaism/History:Bible to 1492Unlike the pioneering Jewish communities of northern Europe, the Jews of the Iberian peninsula had a long history stretching all the way back to antiquity. The Jews of the Iberian peninsula constituted a far larger percentage of the overall population than their northern coreligionists. They were much better integrated into society’s political, cultural, and economic networks, and practiced a wide range of professional occupations. Jewish courtiers exercised considerable influence both at the royal courts and within their own communities. Reread pages 157-160 in your textbook before you listen to this lecture.Judaism/History:Bible to 1492Throughout the post-1391 rebuilding efforts, the problem of the New Christians hovered over the Jewish community. In its most direct form, the New Christians challenged their former fellow Jews in both practical and spiritual terms. Practically, the issue was how to behave toward relatives and friends who had converted. In Jewish eyes, converts out of the faith were ultimately to be treated as Jews, with every effort expended to bring them back into the fold. However, such a policy was impossible. To make any overture toward reintegration of the converts would entail transgression of one of the basic rules governing the Jewish place in Christian