Figure 1.- |
|
The Moors were much more tolerant than the Visigoths. Neither Christians are Jews were forced to convert and both were allowed to continue to practice thaeir religion, although under some contraints. Both Christians and Jews had a recognized status under Islamic law. There were "People of the Book". This meant that they were second class citizens or dhimmis. Whle second-class citiznship does not sound progressive t our modrn sensibilities, it was a definite improvement for Jews who essentially had no lega standing in Visigothic society. The Moors placed a range of constraints on their daily lives and religius practice and dhimmis had to pay a tax--the jizha. But dhimmis (Christians and Jews) were able to practice their religion as long as they did so unobtrusively. For Jews this was a vast improvement. For the first time since the advent of Christianity in Spain, Jews could peacefully coexist and interact with their neighbors.
The most important Jew of Muslim Spain was Hasday ben Shiprut. He was a physcian. After becoming the Chliph's personal physcian, he proved so insughtful that the Caliph mde him an important adbviser and minister. He received Juan of Gorze, envoy of the German emperor Otto I. He neotiated treaties with the ambassadors Byzantine Emperor Constantine VIII. In hs dual role of phrscian nd minister, he managed not only to cure King Sancho I of Leon's obesity and negotiated a treaty with him. Part of ben Shiprut's success was his scholarship. Many Jewish scholars learned Arabic after the conquest.
Ben Shiprut was proficient in both Latin and Arabic. This gave him access to both clasical and Arab learning. he translated the treatise "Medical Materials of Dioscorides". His lingustic skills gave hi the abikity to communicate with the educated eliete throrughout Europe and the Caliph and his cort. Hebrew for ben Shiprut became a cultural and liturgical language.
Jewish scholarship in Muslim Spain is an interesting phenomenon. Jewish scholars in Toledo, translated Arabic texts into Latin making them available to scholars throughout Europe. The Arabic texts include copies of Greek and Roman works that had been lost to the West. The Arab world at the time was much more advanced intelectually than the West. Thus the largely Jewish translations gave European scholars access to the scholarly work in the Muslim world. The Jewish translators also translated Greek and Hebrew texts into Arabic. This cultural cross-polinization was part of the phenomeal success of Morrish Spain. The Jewish work was critical. Few Moors spoke Latin and few European scholars spoke Arabic.
Jewish culture in Al-Andalus. The prosperity the Jews had enjoyed under the Cordovan Caliphate and Arabic culture's influence on them enabled them to stand out as scientists and literary figures, but especially as physicians.
Scholars describe this era as the Golden Age of Spanish Jewry. Jewish cultural, intellectual and spiritual life flourished. The cultural and intelectual achievements were especially impressive. Jews not only translated classical and Arabic works but used them in fields such as botany, geography, medicine, mathematics, and philosophy. The Jewish work in medecine was particularly important.
The contact with East and West helped create scholrs of broad outlook. We see individuals who were accomplished in many different fields. Individuals might work as poet, physician, scientist and philosopher.
Perhaps the best known Jewish scholar was Moshe Ben Maimon (Rambam), a noted scientist, physician and a Torah Scholar. Hasdai Ibn Shaprut (915-970) was the doctor for the Spanish Caliph. Other important scholars were Samuel Ha-Nagid, Moses ibn Ezra, Solomon ibn Gabirol, and Judah Halevi. There were also noatable works of poetry. There was nothing like this scholarly brilliance from Christain Spain. Nor do we note anything like it across the Straits of Gibraltar in Moorish Morocco.
Prospeous Jewish communituies aesisted at Seville, Granada and Cordov, the capitalal-Andalus. Dpanish Jews during the Moorish period lived in a kind of ghetto, the aljamas or Jewish quarters. The Moors granted than a kind of autonomy over their communal affairs. Jews had their own comunity court system caled the Bet Din. This system applied when the litigants wre both Jews or when Jews committed crimes against other Jews. Here rabbis served as judges and delivered both religious and secular decesions.
Jews dressed like their Moorish neighbors, although they were not permitted to dress ostentaiously, such as wearing expensive material and fabrics like silk or furs. Some authors report athe Jews had to wear distinguishing clothing, such as a yellow turban. I'm not sure when that was introduced. Destinguishing clothing for he dhimmis were a topic Islamic scholars debated for centuries. Actual regulations varied over time and from place to place.
Jews were a largely urban population and worked as moneylenders, jewelers, cobblers, tailors, and tanners.
Islamic culture influenced the Spanish Jews. Muslim and Jewish customs and practices to a considerable degree became intertwined. Arabic was commonly used for prayers rather than either Hebrew or Spanish. Jews before entering the synagogue, began washing their hands and feet--an Islamic ritual.
Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Return to the Main Spanish Jews page]
[Return to the Main Jewish pages]
[Introduction]
[Activities]
[Biographies]
[Chronology]
[Clothing styles]
[Countries]
[Bibliographies]
[Contributions]
[FAQs]
[Glossaries]
[Images]
[Links]
[Registration]
[Tools]
[Boys' Clothing Home]