The Jews who immigrated to Iberia, and their descendants comprise the Sephardic Jews, while those who immigrated to the German Rhineland and France comprise the Ashkenazi Jews. Īfter the Siege of Jerusalem (70 CE), hundreds of thousands of Jews were taken as slaves to Rome, where they later immigrated to other European lands. Their presence is attested in Greece from the fourth century BCE onwards in places as varied as Chios, Aegina, Attica and Rhodes and in Italy as early as the 2nd century BCE. As early as the Babylonian exile Jews, through exile under military constraint or otherwise, came to live in many other Middle Eastern countries, and later formed communities throughout the eastern Mediterranean lands, constituting collectively a Jewish diaspora. Jewish tradition traces the origins of the Jews to the 12 Israelite tribes, however most Jewish traditions state that modern Jews descend from Judah, Benjamin and Levi. During the course of this period, the Jewish population gradually shifted from their homeland in the Levant to Europe, primarily Central Europe dominated by the Holy Roman Empire (which gave birth to the Ashkenazi ethnicity of Jews) or Southern Europe dominated by the Iberian kingdoms (which gave birth to the Sephardic ethnicity of Jews). The very real fear of hell (as often seen in Doom Paintings) kept people in line with doctrine and ensured obedience to the Church.History of European Jews in the Middle Ages covers Jewish history in the period from the 5th to the 15th century. ![]() ![]() Having the Papacy on side during a dispute was important: during the Norman invasion of England, King Harold was excommunicated for supposedly going back on a holy pledge to support William of Normandy’s invasion of England: the Norman invasion was blessed as a holy crusade by the Papacy.Įxcommunication remained a sincere and worrying threat to monarchs of the time: as God’s representative on earth, the Pope could prevent souls from entering Heaven by casting them out of the Christian community. The clergy swore allegiance to the Pope rather than to their King. Monarchs were no exception to papal authority, and they were expected to communicate with and respect the Pope including monarchs of the day. Dissent was treated harshly, and non-Christians faced persecution, but increasingly sources suggest that many people did not blindly accept all Church teachings. The Church demanded that all accept its authority. Churchgoing was a chance to see people, there would be celebrations organised on saints’ days and ‘holy days’ were exempt from work. Parishes were made up of village communities, and the Church was a focal point in peoples’ lives. 1000AD), society was increasingly orientated around the church. Communityīy the turn of the millennia (c. Image Credit: Carlo Crivelli, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons 3. Those accepted into the monastic life also had a more stable, more privileged life than ordinary people.Īn altarpiece in Ascoli Piceno, Italy, by Carlo Crivelli (15th century) Then as now, education was a key factor in the limited social mobility offered in Medieval society. Monasteries in particular often had schools attached, and monastic libraries were widely regarded as some of the best. Many clergy had some level of education: much of the literature produced at the time came from the Church, and those who entered the clergy were offered the chance to learn to read and write: a rare opportunity in the agrarian society of the Medieval period. ![]() However, the Church also was one of the main distributors of charity at the time, giving alms to those in need and running basic hospitals, as well as temporarily housing travellers and providing places of shelter and sanctity. Martin Luther later attacked the practice in his 95 Theses. The sale of indulgences, papers which promised absolution from sin yet to be committed and an easier route to heaven, proved increasingly controversial. This system was not without fault: whilst greed was a sin, the Church made sure to financially profit where possible. Churches were constructed by fine craftsmen and filled with precious objects to reflect the Church’s high status within society. The Church placed value on beautiful material possessions, believing art and beauty was for the glory of God. Monetary donations were given by many levels of society, most commonly in the form of a tithe, a tax which normally saw people give roughly 10% of their earnings to the Church. The Catholic Church in Medieval times was extremely wealthy. Image Credit: Jan Matejko, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
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