Spain & Jews - History Study for Trip April/May 2012

notes from class:

Before Islam...how did we get there? Circumstantial evidence.

Obadiah Prophet .1:20. Sepharad mentioned not sure where this was in his time?Could be Spain or not...

Relates to the Phoenicians. -Queen Elisa ... Tyre. Took her followers and moved to Carthage...she is Diado.

Spencer Wells did genetic studies to show the relationship between these people. The Phoenicians and the Israelites.

By 2nd century CE there is certain evidence ... Was strong in representation in Spain during this time. The story of Paul shows he was going to Spain when he was killed.

66-74 CE zealots revolt ended with many escaping Jerusalem . Bar kokhba revolt repeated this and expanded their presence in Spain.

Split between Jews and Christains .. The relationship shifted back and forth over time.

Visigoths came in 5 th century. Brutal thugs. Came in and took over Spain. But they worked with the Jews.

6th century Pope Gregory ...slaves of Jews had it better than slaves of Christians.

587 King Recurad changed Spain to Roman Catholics.

King Sisebut...early 7th Century first expulsion of Jews ... Large conversion happened ...conversos...secret Jews. More change... Incoming wave of Islamic ways.

8th century Islam took over Spain. Went into France also.

Berbers brought better economic leadership and took over quickly.

Islam allowed Jews and Christians to exist as second class citizens. Jews stayed... They were educated and became partnership with the Islamic rule.

Enter into the Golden Age.

Thodomir..prince who guaranteed the safety of the populous.
Until 750 era of cultural and scientific advances...

Center moved from Baghdad to Damascus... Abd ar Rahman went to Spain.Focused on the intellectual. Concentrated this in Cordoba.

The history explains a bit of the overlap in Persian culture with that in Spain.

Ziryab..musician (789-852) went from Baghdad to cordoba influenced the future of music from the area. Significant impact.

Cordoba becomes a center of trade and influence.

Focus on intellect and culture was an advantage for the Jews...they developed positions of leadership and were welcomed by Islamic rulers.

Peak population of 100000 in the 9th century.

912 Abd Ar Rahman...becomes King... Until 961... His power was expanded via a naval force. Built massively. Later he was the victim of his success...

Building. Medinat al Zahara. (Zohar). Means radiance. Palace complex...10% excavated today. Focus on water... Muslims remember the importance of water from their own homeland. (only existed for about 40 years after his death)

Nasdaq Ibn Shaprut. (a Jew) Physician and scientist during this time. Led to an alliance with the Byzantine empire. And extended the reach into other countries..and the Jews who studied Talmud. Also fostered the poetic community and the arts.

Mosque of Cordoba.. Architectural complexity that expanded over centuries. Mezquita... Documentary. Wandering through the Mezquita.

Juderia is next door... Jewish quarter ..is partly restored..
Casa de Sefarad. Synagogue post Rambam.. Maimonades Synagogue. Restored in 1985.

993 -1056 Islamic Spain. Samuel Ibn Nagrela a Jew ..preserved the Cordoban state...poet and the commander of their armies...