Golden Age of Jewish culture in Spain

Uncommon card · No. 181388

The Jewish Golden Age in Spain began shortly after the Muslim conquest in the 8th century. Its end date is debated, with some saying that it ended with the persecution of Jews by the Almohad Caliphate in the 1100s, and others saying it lasted until the Christian Reconquista resulted in the expulsion of Jews by the 15th century. During this period, Jews living in what was collectively called al-Andalus (Iberian territories under Muslim rule 711–1492, now Spain, Portugal, and Gibraltar) experienced relative tolerance, prosperity, and socio-cultural integration within the broader Muslim society that had come to dominate the region, though Spanish scholar Américo Castro considered the country's hegemonic religion to have switched from Islam to Christianity starting in 1252 with the reign of Alfonso X of Castile. Owing to this environment, Jewish culture flourished and several Jews rose to prominence in scholarly and religious spheres, including Maimonides, Hasdai ben Shaprut, Shmuel ha-Nagid...

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