Judaism and Trade

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In the early medieval period, there was a strong divide between Christianity in Europe and Islam in the Middle East. This division affected commerce between the two religions that were mostly unwilling to trade with one another. Looking for a way to acquire the luxuries they desired, many Christians turned to Jewish merchants who were in an advantageous place to profit from the Christian and Muslim divide (Turner 96). Throughout the Middle Ages, the Jewish people became important participants in global trade with many trade routes while additionally facing persecution and attempting to keep religious laws and practices intact.
Crucial parts of Jewish trader’s success were their extensive connections to the East. Early medieval Europe relied on Jewish and Byzantine traders for spices and other indulgences because of these contacts in China, India, and the Middle East (Turner 90). Many cities dominated by Jewish and Byzantine merchants were on the coast such as Trebizond, Turkey and Barcelona, Spain, but some routes reached as far inland as Paris, Lyon, and Orléans in central France (...

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