Surveys the history of the Jews in Majorca, focusing on the period after the Aragonese conquest in 1229. Under the reign of Sancho I of Aragón, the community leaders were imposed with a heavy fine and the great synagogue was confiscated as punishment for helping two German Christians convert to Judaism. In 1391 violent pogroms took place, and in 1413 the Jews were enclosed in a ghetto and restricted to certain professions. Forced conversion of the entire community took place in 1435. However, the Inquisition was suspicious of the New Christians, and persecutions and autos-da-fes took place through the 17th century. The Inquisitor Fransesc Garau was active in persecuting Majorca's Jews. Social discrimination against the Chuetas, (descendants of Conversos) continued until the end of the 19th century. Includes a list of documents.

A new history of the Spanish Inquisition--a terrifying battle for a unified faith.

This fifth volume in the Hisspania Judaica series focuses, for the most part, on the conversos of 17th century Majorca ? the so- called Chuetas, a phenomenon without parallel in all Spain. This study is based on a wealth of archival material from the records of the Inquisition in Spain and elsewhere including nearly one hundred complete Procesos (trial records) of 1677-1691. These offer the historian a uniquely valuable source of prime material.

The essays collected in this volume, some of which are presented for the first time in English translation, provide a rich harvest of Jewish customs and traditional beliefs, gathered from all over the world and from ancient to modern times. On Jewish Folklore spans a half-century of scholarly inquiry by the noted anthropologist and biblical scholar Raphael Patai. He essays collected in this volume, some of which are presented for the first time in English translation, provide a rich harvest of Jewish customs and traditional beliefs, gathered from all over the world and from ancient to modern times. Among the subjects Dr. Patai investigated and recorded are the history and oral traditions of the now-vanished Marrano community of Meshhed, Iran; cultural change among the so-called Jewish Indians of Mexico; beliefs and customs in connection with birth, the rainbow, and the color blue; Jewish variants of the widespread custom of earth-eating; and the remarkable parallels between the rituals connected with enthroning a new king as described in the Bible and as practiced among certain African tribes.