JWST 240 Lecture 2: lecture 2 JWST
Document Summary
Medieval antisemitism: medieval jewish social and economic life. Jewish communities were fully dependent on the goodwill of the christian majority. Jewish communities lived alongside christian communities rather than a part of christian society - at the time, christian society was not secular; jews would have to convert in order to integrate. Historians disagree on when the first jewish community was documented (fifth or sixth century) Charters would have to be issued by a bishop or a royal who saw economic potential in inviting jews to a town - this is how jews were granted privileges. Jewish people self-governed - what we have now is a very recent phenomenon. Christianity legalized in rome in 313 - became official religion of empire in 380. Community able to self govern based on religious beliefs and practices - able to follow ancestral customs (the torah)
