The Change in Status of Judaists around 1500
As I have asserted often the world changed the most significantly around 1500 in the latest.
It started the era of Columbus, Martin Luther, and Copernicus, paving the way for the emergence, deployment, and expansion of Protestantism, the Scientific Revolution, the Industrial Revolution, and as far as the American Democracy.
But how were Judaists influenced by this great surge of changes in the human history?
Timeline of Jewish History in Italy | Jewish Virtual Library
1429 — Pope Martin enacts bull providing a sweeping measure of protection of the Jews, which remains largely unenforced
1437 — Cosimo de Medici, the Elder, grants the first formal charter to the Jews of Florence for moneylending
1442 — Pope Eugenius IV issues an edict prohibiting: building of synagogues, money-lending for interest, holding public office, testifying against Christians. Jews respond by meeting in Tivoli and Ravenna, with no success; causes them to move to other areas of Italy
1459 —Fra Mauro (a converted Jew) prepares a map placing Jerusalem at the center of the world, a practice which was discontinued by the late Renaissance
1462 — Establishment of "Monti di pieta," pity funds, by Franciscans to offer interest-free loans in direct competition with Jewish money-lenders; Jews lose business, and are therefore subject to expulsion
1464 —-92 — Lorenzo Il Magnifico, becomes the protector of Florentine Jews, supporting Jewish scholarship, Talmudic studies and medicine, and guaranteeing favorable living conditions to the Jewish community. Oversees the "Golden Age of Florence," in which there is much interaction between Christians and Jews.
Chair of Hebrew established at the University of Bologna; revival of Hebrew study for theological considerations and secular interest in antiquity become characteristics of the Italian Renaissance
1468 —Joseph ben Meshullam writes a satire which supports rationalism over mysticism, supertitious customs and pilpul, the method of Talmudic study gaining popularity
1471 — Secularization of papacy leaves Jews in central and northern Italy free of persecution. Protection of Jewish life, property and business affairs also guaranteed
1473 — First two Hebrew presses established in Calabria and Pieva da Saca. Others founded in Mantua and Naples
1475 — Judah Messer Leon--rabbi, scholar, man of letters, writes book on Hebrew style applying rhetoric derived from Greek and Latin authors
1480 — Soncino family begins establishing Hebrew presses throughout Italy and in Constantinople and Salonika
1488 — First complete edition of Hebrew Bible printed I Soncino, Italy, by Abraham ben Hayyim
1491 — Jews of Ravenna expelled, synagogues destroyed; instigated by Franciscan and Dominican friars whose goal was expulsion of all Jews from Italy – Perugia-1485, Gubbio-1486. . .
R. Elijah Delmedigo holds chair in Philosophy at University of Padua and is a major influence on Pico della Mirandola, a Florentine philosopher/poet (1463-1494)
Population of Italy: 12,000,000; Jews: 80,000 (100% increase in 100 years)
1492 — Sicily and Sardinia, as territories ruled by Spain, expel their Jews. The majority of refugees from the Spanish expulsion head for Portugal and Italy, specifically Venice, Leghorn and Rome, where they are protected by the pope
1494 — France invades Italy; Jews of Florence and Tuscany expelled when the Medici fall from power; they return in 1513 — and bring the Jews back with them
1495 — Charles VIII of France occupies Kingdom of Naples, bringing new persecution against the Jews, many of whom went there as refugees from Spain. Jews will be expelled from Naples in 1510 —and again in 1541
1496 — Pico della Mirandola develops a Christian notion of Kabbalah, based on his interaction with Jewish contemporaries and Jewish texts. He attempts to confirm the truth of the Christian religion from the foundations of Jewish Kabbalah
1500 — Disputation in Ferrara between Christians and Abraham Farrisol of Avignon. R. Asher Lemlein, a false messiah, preaches in N. Italy on repentence and messiah. Of Ashkenazic origin, his ideas travel to Germany. Even among Christians, 1500 is a ‘year of repentance"
1510 — King Ferdinand of Spain defeats the French I Naples and establishes it as the largest principality in Italy; expels majority of Jews living south of Rome; expelled again in 1541 —
1513 — Machiavelli writes "The Prince"
1515 — Edict of expulsion in Naples extends to ‘New Christians’
1516 — Establishment of ghetto (foundry) in Venice as a place of confinement for Jews, whose goal is to gain maximum economic advantage from the Jews’ presence (including taxes), while ensuring minimal social contact with population. Generalization of term to include all enclosed quarters of Jews in Europe
1517 — Daniel Bomberg, first Christian merchant to found a Hebrew printing press, prints Hebrew Bible with commentaries by Rashi, Ibn Ezra, Kimchi, Geronides and Babylonian and Palestinian Talmuds for the first time
1524 — The old established Jewish families of Rome come to terms with the trasmontani- newcomers from France and Germany, who were previously not accepted into Jewish leadership in Italy (see four synagogues in Venice). Roman Jewish self-government is now shared by Italian, Sicilian, Spanish and German Jews
First Jewish cosmography written – charts Biblical places ans well as new route to India and Islands of the New World
David Ruveni, claiming to be a messenger of king of the Lost Tribes, appears before Pope Clement VII and proposes a treaty between Jews and Christians against Muslims; later dies as a prisoner in Spain
1529 — Scuola Grande Tedesca, oldest synagogue in Venice opens-Ashkenazic
1531 — Scuola Canton, also Ashkenazic
1538 — Scuola Levantina
1555 — Scuola Spagnola, largest in Venice
1575 — Scuola Italiana. All the synagogues are unrecognizable from the outside, with magnificent interiors. Q-Why four synagogues in one square in 45 years?
1531 — Earliest Jewish play in Europe: Italian historian mentions a Purim play he witnessed in the Venice ghetto. Plays with biblical themes are popular in Europe
1532 — Jacob Azulai, Padua, is the first known Jewish artist to make a majolica Seder Plate. Later displayed in Jewish Museum in Vienna
1535 — Judah Abrabanel writes "Dialogues about Love," in Rome. This neoplatonic treatise by a leading philosopher of the Renaissance becomes a classic
1537-70 — The rule of Cosimo I of Florence ushers in a renewed era of growth and prosperity for the Jews, with restored Medici favor and protection
1541 — Venetian Senate grants Levantine Jews permission to reside in Venice, as a result of the increased participation of Sephardic Jews in Balkan commerce; and is an attempt by Italian princes to fill their coffers at the expense of local interests (rights were granted for the financial benefit to Christian rulers, not to improve Jews’ lot)
Elijah Levita publishes a Hebrew grammar book explaining 712 Hebrew words; significant because it has Latin translations, showing cross-cultural knowledge
Jews expelled from Naples; readmitted in 1735
1551 — Grand Duke of Tuscany issues charter to attract Sephardic Jewish merchants from Balkans to Pisa. They trade using routes through Ancona and Pesaro
1553 — Convinced that the Talmud attacks Christianity, Pope Julius III burns thousands of volumes of Talmud in Rome, Bologna, Ferrara,Venice and Mantua.
1554 —A delegation of Italian Jews meets in Ferrara to discuss the banning of the Talmud. They adopt a rabbinic ordinance, recognized by the government, which establishes an internal control over the printing of Hebrew books. Similar rules are later adopted in Padua, Poland, Frankfurt and Amsterdam.
1555 — Pope Paul IV issues bull, cum nimis absurdum, bringing religious and economic restrictions to the papal lands, requiring all Jews to live in ghettos and restricting economic relations with Christians to the selling of used clothes.The change in situations of Judaists could be clearly observed through the following events:
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/History/italytime.html
1429 — Pope Martin enacts bull providing a sweeping measure of protection of the Jews, which remains largely unenforced
1491 — Jews of Ravenna expelled, synagogues destroyed; instigated by Franciscan and Dominican friars whose goal was expulsion of all Jews from Italy – Perugia-1485, Gubbio-1486. . .
1492 — Sicily and Sardinia, as territories ruled by Spain, expel their Jews. The majority of refugees from the Spanish expulsion head for Portugal and Italy, specifically Venice, Leghorn and Rome, where they are protected by the pope
1555 — Pope Paul IV issues bull, cum nimis absurdum, bringing religious and economic restrictions to the papal lands, requiring all Jews to live in ghettos and restricting economic relations with Christians to the selling of used clothes.So, it is apparent that the changes were brought about by the Vatican and its followers. It seems that European Christians came to alienate Judaists following the anti-Judaist policy the Vatican took around 1500 while the Catholic authority was being accused of its corruption by Martin Luther and other Protestants.
It may be natural to think that corruption of the Vatican has been linked with Vatican's hostility to Judaists.
It should be noted that Mayer Amschel Rothschild was born in 1744 while the US won independence from Britain in 1776. These two episodes might be two of the most symbolic ones after the emergence and achievements by Columbus, Martin Luther, and Copernicus around 1500. Today, the Vatican is being humbled, though Judaists and the US are so prosperous and successful in various fields of today's global civilization.
But what about Muslims and Islam?
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Rev 9:15 And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.
Rev 9:16 And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them.
Rev 9:17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.