Although Jewish intellectual contribution during the Middle Ages also occurred in other parts of Europe, particularly the Slavic areas, it was mostly found in Islamic Spain. During the so-called Golden Age of Judaism, between about 700 AD and 1200 AD in Islamic Iberia, Jewish culture flourished. There has been a good amount of debate regarding the exact nature of Jewish and Islamic relations during the Middle Ages. Some scholars contend that Jews were treated significantly better in Iberia than in Christian kingdoms. They contend that Jews, Muslims, and other religious minorities lived in peace and harmony. Other scholars, however contend that the Jews were just as badly off in Al-Andalus as they were in Christian Europe. These scholars point to Muslim pogroms against Jews, such as Córdoba in 1011 and Granada in 1066, as evidence of Islamic hate against Jews, though these pogroms took place towards the end of the “Golden Age.” They argue that this utopian view of Islamic Iberia was created by anti-Zionist Muslims in an attempt to show that the state of Israel shattered a previous harmonious relationship between the two religions. A third group of scholars contend that although Jews in Spain were not granted the same rights as the Muslims, they were still better off there than they were in Christian Europe. Whatever the case may have been, Jewish culture was certainly more vibrant in Spain than it was anywhere else and most likely, the Islamic environment was more tolerant to Jews than the Christian environment.

Because of the harsh persecution of Jews by the Christian Visigoths in Hispania, the Jews gladly welcomed the Arab and Berber conquerors of the 8th Century. A lot the conquered cities were placed under Jewish control and the Muslim invader removed the oppressive restrictions created by the Visigoths and gave the Jews religious liberty so long as they paid the Jizya, the tribute. The Jews even had their own legal system and social services. Thus began the Golden Age and an era of tolerance. The Jews learned closely from their Arab counterparts in the fields of philosophy and science. Many contributed to the translation of ancient Greek and Latin texts to Hebrew and Arabic. Jews throughout Spain served as physicians and astronomers, fields where they specialized.

Amongst the Jews, astronomy was perhaps the most widely practiced natural science, though astronomy as a science was still heavily influenced by the pseudoscientific astrology. Jewish scholars made contributions by developing new theories, tables, and instruments. Prominent Jewish scholars who made contributions to astronomy include Abraham bar Hiyya, who calculated many astronomical tables and developed a theory on the formation of the universe, and Gersonides, who invented Jacob’s staff and who developed a geometrical model for the motion of the moon. Why were the Jews so fascinated by astronomy? Well, there is no clear cut answer to this question. Perhaps it is because of its practical function in determining the Hebrew calendar or perhaps it is because celestial bodies are significant when it comes to metaphysics and theology.

The Jews were just as well known for their astronomy as they were for their medicine. Verily, medicine is traditionally considered in some places as a Jewish discipline since so many court physicians were Jewish, just as banking is now considered to be a Jewish profession. Medicine gave many Iberian Jews an opportunity for social and economic advancement. Indeed, the great Moses Maimonides, who influenced Thomas Aquinas with his ideas, was a physician. Even though Jews were barred from many universities, the number of Jews practicing medicine was disproportionately high. As with medicine, Jews also contributed much to the field of pharmacology, where they debated the efficacy of certain drugs.

Jews during the middle ages also contributed significantly to mathematics. Since mathematics was usually studied in the context of other disciplines, such as astronomy, branches such as trigonometry and geometry were appreciated over others. Algebra was not widely studied since it was impractical and unphilosophical, but we all know today how important and practical algebra is. The previously mentioned Gersonides dealt with many arithmetic operations and was one of the first people to use proof by induction. Additionally, he pioneered combinatorics and he proved the sin law.

The Golden Age began its end when the caliphate began to dissolve. Soon, there were pogroms against Jews, such as the previously mentioned 1066 Granada Massacre. The situation deteriorated even further when the puritan Almoravids and then the Almohads invaded, forcing many Jews to convert to Islam. During this time period, many Jews left for Toledo, where they participated in the School of Toledo, translating many Arabic works into Latin, such as those by Averroes. In spite of all the persecution, the Iberian Jewish community remained vibrant. This vibrancy continued until the Jews were expelled en masse with the Edict of Expulsion in 1492, decreed by Christian Spain.

During the final days of the Golden Age, a good amount of Jewish intellectual activity was concentrated in the Christian areas of northern Spain and southern France. Many Jews who were fleeing the Almohad persecutions in Muslim Spain decided to settle in Provence. Provence was the region of Jewish science and philosophy, where many Jewish scholars participated in the translation of scientific writing from Arabic to Hebrew as well writing original scientific treatises. Many of these Jewish intellectuals who were involved in these large-scale translations were sponsored by local patrons, where they functioned as intermediates between Christians and Muslims. The Provencal Jews also maintained a strong cultural heritage in Provence, where the primary language was Hebrew and where the Talmud and Jewish law were heavily studied. Many of the great contributors to the Provencal intellectual movement include Abraham bar Hiyya and Levi ibn Gershon (Gersonides).

Towards the end of the medieval era, after the Spanish Inquisition, many Jewish conversos, non-Christian who converted to Christianity as a result of governmental pressure, contributed greatly to the development of the novel in Spain and Portugal. For instance, Alonso Nunez de Reinoso revived the Byzantine novel, Jorge de Montemayor created the pastoral novel, Diego de San Pedro was the sentimental novelist, and Alfonso Martínez de Toledo brought speech into the Castilian prose. These authors were all crucial in the development of the novel and influenced Miguel de Cervantes in his magnum opus, Don Quixote.

Whenever the topics of Jews and the Middle Ages coincide, it is always about persecution. The great intellectual contributions of the medieval Jews are largely ignored. In a time where religious dogma ruled, where faith was elevated above reason, Iberian Jews, thanks to the more tolerant environment, were able to pursue science and mathematics while reconciling them with their religious beliefs. Even after the end of the Golden Age, Jews carried on their intellectual studies. You may wonder as to why I chose this topic. In all honesty, I chose it because I picked up a book at the public library about Medieval Jews and all of a sudden, I felt inspired to write about them. I hope you enjoyed the essay.