* Byzantine Jews








Byzantine Jews


Figure 1.--This is the floor mosaic of the Beth Alpha synagogue in Israel's Jezreel Valley. It dates to the 6th century. The use of figurative art shows the continuing Helebistic influence. The northern panel of the floor depicts the 'Binding of Isaac'. [Genesis 22: 1–18.] To the right, Abraham is shown dangling his son over the fiery altar as he raises his hand to perform the sacrifice. In the center, God, reverentky symbolized by the fire-encircled hand is seen in the upper center. He instructs Abraham to sacrifice a nearby ram instead of Isaac. The hand of God is labeled with 'al tishlah or 'do not raise'", taken from God's command to the angel. [Genesis 22:12] Another part of the mosaic depicts a Zodiac wheel.

Emperor Constantine after seizing control of the Roman Empire built a new capital at Byzantium, then a small fishing village. It became the great Byzantine capital of Constantinople (İstanbul). Roman emperors decided that one answer to the difficulties the Empire was experiencing was to split it. When Rome fell to barbarian hordes (476 AD), the Western Empire collapsed. The Eastern Empire was able to resist the barbarians, although with considerable difficulty. It became known as the Byzantine Empire. The Byzantine or Orthodox Church viewed the Jews differently than the western Roman Catholic Church. There were more Jews in the Eastern Empire. Church and state officials treated them more harshly. Jews were afforded legal protection as long as they did not proselytize Christians. The Byzantines placed many limitatins on Jews which made it more difficult for them to survive. They barred Jews from holding public office. Thus the Byzantine Jews survived in often severe poverty. The Byzantines alsp prohibited the construction of new synagogues. Justinian wanted a standard religion to avoid relgious connflict. He insisted that Chritians develop an agreed upon theology. He also adopted a policy of voluntary onversion for Jews. Subsequent emperors ordered the to be convert and baptized. They granted tax breaks to Jews who voluntarily complied. The Byzantines made, however, little progress in converting the Jews in the Empire. Some Jew made an alliance with the Persians who invaded Palestine (614). They defeated the small Byzantine garrison at Jerusalem. The Jews thus controlled Jerusalem for 3 years. The Persians and Byzantines made peace. Emperor Heraclius was able to retake Jerusalem and exiled those Jews who were not slaughtered (617). [Katz] Arab warriers conquered large areas of the Byzantine and then largely Christian Middle East (7th century). This brough large numbers of Byzantine Jews under Muslim control. Subsequently the Ottoman Turks would seize control of much of Anatolia. Constantinople itself survived for centuries. For most Jews the Islamic conquests brouht more enlightened, tolerant rule, although they were still seen as inferior by the population which gradually converted to Islam.

Helenistic Judaism

Hellenistic Judaism dominated jewiush culture even durung the Roman era. The Eastern Empire evolved into the Byzabtinbe Empire. This involved the use of the Greek language and the adoption of Greek culture into Judaism. This is why you see paintings and figurative mosacics at Jewish synagogues such as at Dura Europos in what is now easter Syria.,

Division of the Roman Empire

Palestine and the Levant in general became part of the eastern Empire after division of the Empire. This began as part of Diocletian's tetrarchy when the Empire was divided between his two sons, Arcadius and Honorius. Emperor Constantine after seizing control of the Roman Empire built a new capital at Byzantium, then a small fishing village. It became the great Byzantine capital of Constantinople (İstanbul). Roman emperors decided that one answer to the difficulties the Empire was experiencing was to split it, alhiugh there were still efforts to coordinate. The Battle of Adrianople/ Hadrianopolis settked this effort (378). , It was fought Edirne, in European Turkey near Constantinole. The Emperor Valens rashly decided to act on his owm. His army was obliterated by Germanic Visigoths led by Fritigern and augmented by Ostrogothic and others. Constantu=inoles massive wall system protected the city. The Empire was formally split again upon the death of Theodosius I, Roman Emperor in Constantinople (395). It was never again made whole. When Rome fell to barbarian hordes (476), the Western Empire collapsed. The Eastern Empire was able to resist the barbarians, although with considerable difficulty. It became known as the Byzantine Empire. The Eastern Enpire was the richest and would outlive the Western Empire by a millennis, although in a much reduced state.

Legal Staus

The legal status of Jews in the Byzantine Empire was unique. Although they did not belong to the Christian Eastern Orthodox faith, the state religion, they were tolerated to varying dagrees. This was not the case for heretics and pagans. It should be noted that Byzantine percecution ofbheretic Christians a was on aspect of the rapid Islamic military conquests (7th century.) Jews existed in a precarious legal envelope between Christinity and proscribed beliefs. The degree of toleration varies friom time ti time, but not as widely as iun in Western Chrisendom. This all dependen on three variable factors. First the theological commitment of the Byzantund state to maintain the Jews as a living, albeit small testament to the victory of Christianity. Second was the desire of the state to strengthen its control over the population. Third was the authority of centralized rule from Constantinople over its at first far-flung provinces.

Theology

The Byzantine or Orthodox Church viewed the Jews differently than the western Roman Catholic Church.

Population

There were more Jews in the Eastern than Western Empire. There appear to have been substantial Greek-speaking Jewish communities in Anatolia which appeared to have been relatively well integrated.

Treatment

Historians disagree as to the treatment of Jewds in Byzantium. Some believe that Church and state officials in Byzantium treated Jews more harshly than in the West while others insust that the Byzantines were more tolerant. This may reflect assessments at different periods. Jews were tolerated to a considerable degreen in the Roman Empire and early Feudal period. It ws not until the 11th century and the beginning of the Crusades that horific attacks ob Jews in the west began. Jews in Byzantium were afforded a degree of legal protection as long as they did not proselytize Christians. The Byzantines placed many limitatins on Jews which made it more difficult for them to survive. They barred Jews from holding public office. Thus the Byzantine Jews survived in often severe poverty. The Byzantines alsp prohibited the construction of new synagogues. While the Byzantine treatment of Jews may have been harsh, historians find no evidence of the horific slaughter of whole communities as occured in Western Christendom. There may have been a degree of hostility on the part of the Christian population, but there are no reports of the pogroms, burnings, s expulsions, and other actions that occurred throughout Western Europe. [Mango] There was no Inquisition in Byzantium.

Justinian

The greatest of Byzantine emperors was Justinian. He wanted a standard religion to avoid relgious connflict. He insisted that Chritians develop an agreed upon theology. He also adopted a policy of voluntary onversion for Jews.

Efforts at Conversion

Subsequent emperors ordered the to be convert and baptized. They granted tax breaks to Jews who voluntarily complied. The Byzantines made, however, little progress in converting the Jews in the Empire. [Ostrogorsky]

Palestine

One interesting topic is Palestine. We note a Jewush population there despite the Roman expulsion (1st cenbtury AD). This presumably was because the expulsion was not total. And some Jews may have retuned as Roman power wained. We do not know, however the size of the Jewish population. One ckear evidence of a Jewish presebce is the Beth Al (בית אלפא‎) synagouge dating to the 6th century AD, just befire the Islsnic conquest. The ruins are located near the Gilboa mountains close to Beit She'an, Israel. The beautiful mosaics show an obvious Helanistic/.Byzabntune influence. There seems to have been a substantial pooulatiin in Jerusalem. Some Jew made an alliance with the Persians who invaded Palestine (614). They defeated the small Byzantine garrison at Jerusalem. The Jews thus controlled Jerusalem for 3 years. The Persians and Byzantines made peace. Emperor Heraclius was able to retake Jerusalem and exiled those Jews who were not slaughtered (617). [Katz]

Arab Conquest

Arab warriers conquered large areas of the Byzantine and then largely Christian Middle East (7th century). This brough large numbers of Byzantine Jews under Muslim control. Subsequently the Ottoman Turks would seize control of much of Anatolia. Constantinople itself survived for centuries. For most Jews the Islamic conquests brouht more enlightened, tolerant rule, although they were still seen as inferior by the population which gradually converted to Islam.

Sources

Katz, Shmuel. Battleground (1974).

Mango, C. ed. The Oxford History of Byzantium (2002).

Ostrogorsky, G. History of the Byzantine State.






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Created: 11:54 PM 3/7/2007
Last updated: 6:58 AM 9/26/2020