Between the straits: the thirteenth century as a turning point for Iberian Jewry

Abstract

The political and ideological clashes between Muslim and Christian forces that are often referred to as the reconquista represent one of the central themes in the historiography on medieval Iberia. However, historians have had difficulty locating the peninsula's Jewish communities within this narrative. As a result, studies of Christian expansion in the thirteenth century often present Iberian Jews as marginal figures or hapless victims of warfare, political chaos, and persecution. In this essay I explore the meaning of the pivotal events of the thirteenth century from the perspective of Hispano-Jewish society. I wish to challenge the common historiographic division of medieval Iberia into Muslim and Christian “periods,” or cultural spheres of influence, which has shaped our corresponding understanding of medieval Jewish history. I therefore discuss the relocation of Iberian Jewry from Muslim to Christian rule in order to highlight the impact of this transition on the internal dynamics of Jewish society.