Jews in An Iberian Frontier Kingdom

This book treats the tumultuous history of the Jews in the colonial kingdom of Valencia through focusing on one town, Morvedre. Based on archival sources, it explores the Jews' activities as settlers and officials, their role in the new kingdom's economic development, and their rapidly changing relations with the Christian conquerors and the subject Muslims. It dissects the Jewish community's internal social and political struggles while it dealt with the monarchy's heavy fiscal demands. It also considers the controversies surrounding Jewish moneylending and the Jews' embattled position during the rebellions and wars that rocked the kingdom in the fourteenth century. The book is important for students of Jewish history, Spanish history, and interfaith relations in the Middle Ages.