History of the Jews in Spain up to the year 1000
Jews in Spain up to the year 1000 – A fascinating journey through a rich history
The history of the Jews in Spain is one of the oldest and most significant histories of Jewish life in Europe. Long before Spain existed as a unified country, Jewish communities lived on the Iberian Peninsula. By the year 1000, they had developed a vibrant culture characterized by religious faith, scholarship, trade, and artistic creation. It was a time of tolerance, cooperation, and challenges that shaped the Jewish community and leave their mark to this day.
Jewish beginnings on the Iberian Peninsula
The Jewish presence on the Iberian Peninsula dates back to Roman antiquity. The first Jewish settlers probably arrived on the peninsula with the Romans around the 1st century BC. These early Jewish communities lived in the Roman provinces of Hispania Baetica (roughly present-day Andalusia) and Hispania Tarraconensis (eastern and northern Spain, as well as northern Portugal) and actively participated in trade and crafts.
However, with the Christianization of the Roman Empire in the 4th century AD, the fate of the Jews on the peninsula began to change. The new Christian rulers introduced laws that severely restricted the Jews' religious freedom and urged their conversion to Christianity.
The Visigothic Kingdom: Oppression and Forced Conversions
After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the Visigoths took control of Spain in the 5th century. Originally Arian Christians, the Visigoths were more religiously tolerant of the Jews. However, with the Visigoths' conversion to Catholic Christianity under King Reccared I (586–601), the situation changed dramatically: The Catholic Church pushed for strict laws against Jews that severely restricted their religious freedom. King Sisebut (612–621) introduced compulsory baptism for all Jews, which led to massive conversions, often under duress. In 633, the Church Synod decreed that Jewish children should be taken away from their parents and raised as Christians.
During this time, many Jews lived as conversos, i.e. Jews who had officially converted to Christianity, but who often continued to practice their faith in secret.
The Muslim Conquest and the Golden Age
In 711, Muslim Berbers and Arabs conquered the Iberian Peninsula and established the Caliphate of Córdoba. A completely new era began for Jewish communities: Islam granted protection to Jews and Christians as "People of the Book" (dhimmi), albeit in return for a special tax (jizya). Jews were highly respected as traders, physicians, scholars, and translators and played a central role in trade between the Muslim and Christian worlds. Centers such as Córdoba and Toledo became strongholds of Jewish knowledge. Jewish scholars such as Hasdai ibn Shaprut, an advisor to Caliph Abd al-Rahman III, were outstanding figures. Jewish scholars contributed significantly to the translation of ancient Greek and Roman texts into Arabic and Hebrew. They were also involved in the development of medicine, philosophy, and mathematics. The famous School of Translation in Córdoba was a significant center of learning.
Islamic al-Andalus enabled Jews to develop their religious and cultural identity to an unprecedented extent. Hebrew poetry, philosophy, and medicine flourished.
A story of change and resistance
Jewish history in Spain up to the year 1000 reflects the political and cultural upheavals that shaped the Iberian Peninsula. It demonstrates how a persecuted community survived and ultimately flourished through adaptability, knowledge, and economic influence. Its traces are still visible today in the architectural, literary, and cultural remains, testifying to a rich past full of diversity and innovation.
In fall 2025, the JCOM will explore the music and culture of Sephardic Jews in the project THE KEYS OF TOLEDO. This project is funded by the Foundation for Remembrance, Responsibility and Future (EVZ) and the Federal Ministry of Finance (BMF) as part of the "National Socialist Injustice" educational program.
Current concert dates at www.jcom.de/konzerte .
