History of the Jews in Alexandria
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The history of the Jews in Alexandria dates back to the founding of the city by
Many important Jewish writers and figures came from or studied in Alexandria, such as
During the subsequent
Hellenistic and early Roman period
According to Josephus, Jews had inhabited Alexandria since its founding, and most historians agree that Jews lived in the city since at least the beginning of the third century BCE. Under Ptolemaic rule, a separate section of the city was assigned to the Jews, so that they might not be hindered in the observance of their laws by continual contact with the pagan population. This Jewish Quarter was one of the five sections of the city, each named after a letter of the Greek alphabet, with the Jewish quarter being named Delta.
During this time, the Jews in Alexandria enjoyed a greater degree of political independence and prominence, serving as the city's moneylenders, premium merchants and alabarchs. The Jewish ethnarchs were also established during this time, along with a council of 71 elders. According to Strabo, the ethnarch was responsible for the general conduct of Jewish affairs in the city, particularly in legal matters and the drawing up of documents. The city also established a large Bet Din known as the "archion". The Great Synagogue of Alexandria (mentioned in the Talmud)[7] was also established during this time. During the period of the Second Temple the Jews of Alexandria were represented in Jerusalem by a sizeable community.
During Herod’s reign several prominent Alexandrian Jewish families lived in Jerusalem, such as Simeon the Just who was appointed high priest by Herod. Alexandria's Jewish population served as secular public officials and as soldiers for the Ptolemaic army. Rich Jews occasionally held the office of alabarch, such as Alexander the Alabarch. However, Ptolemy VII was hostile towards the Jews because when he strove to wrest the throne of Egypt from Cleopatra, the Jews, led by the general Onias, fought on the side of Cleopatra. During the Maccabean Revolt, an Alexandrian Jew probably wrote 2 Maccabees which defends Hellenism and criticizes the Seleucids, as opposed to 1 Maccabees which was written in Judea and criticizes the entire Hellenistic ideology.[4][5][8][9][10][11]
Roman period
Following the
Following the First Jewish–Roman War, many Romans in Alexandria questioned the loyalty of the city's Jewry. Violence occurred in 66 CE, when the Alexandrines had organized a public assembly to deliberate about an embassy to Nero, and a great number of Jews came flocking to the amphitheater. When the Alexandrines saw the Jews, they attacked them; the majority of Jews were killed, and those who were captured were burned alive. Following this event was the second Alexandrian pogrom. Tiberius Julius Alexander, the governor of Alexandria (who was born Jewish, but left the religion) was able to calm the riots. However, most Jews saw the rising antisemitism and emigrated out of the city, mostly to Rome and other Mediterranean and North African cities. In 115 CE the remaining Jewish population participated in the Kitos War, leading to the economic situation of the community being undermined, and its population diminished.[4][15][5]
Byzantine period
By the beginning of the Byzantine era, the Jewish population had again increased, but in 414
Arab period
Following the Muslim conquest of Egypt starting in 641, Jews were allowed to return to the city; according to some Arab sources, the city had some 400,000 around the time of the conquest.[4] However, Benjamin of Tudela who visited the town in about 1170, speaks of only 3,000 Jews living in Alexandria. Nevertheless, throughout the Middle Ages, Alexandria had a small but significant community of Jewish rabbis and scholars. The community is mentioned in several documents in the Cairo Genizah, some of which relate to Alexandrian Jews' reaction to the controversial Sar Shalom ben Moses.
During the 12th century, Aaron He-Haver ben Yeshuah Alamani served as the community's spiritual leader. During the Arab period, Alexandrian Jewry kept a close relationship with other Egyptian communities in Cairo, Bilbeis, El Mahalla El Kubra as well as several others. It was during this time that Alexandria had two synagogues, one of which was called "the Small Synagogue of Alexandria". The Jews of Alexandria were engaged in the international trade centered in their city, and some even held government posts.[4][8]
Mamluk and Ottoman periods
Under
In the 1660s some members of the community began to follow the Jewish mystic Shabbetai Zvi, while the majority adamantly opposed him. In 1700, some Jewish fishermen from Rosetta moved to Alexandria in hopes of better economic opportunities. During the French conquest of Egypt, Napoleon imposed heavy fines on the Jews and ordered the ancient synagogue, associated with the prophet Elijah, to be destroyed. Under the rule of Muhammad Ali of Egypt, Jews began to experience great social and economic development.[4][5][17]
Modern era
During World War I, many Jews living in the
See also
References
- ^ Josephus, "Against Apion" II. 4
- ISBN 978-1-55458-670-7.
- ^ Redies, Michael (Berlin) (2006-10-01). "Acta Alexandrinorum". Brill's New Pauly.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Alexandria, Egypt". www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org. Retrieved 2020-06-27.
- ^ a b c d "ALEXANDRIA, Egypt—Ancient - JewishEncyclopedia.com". www.jewishencyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2020-06-27.
- ^ "The Dispersion of Egyptian Jewry". publishing.cdlib.org. Retrieved 2020-06-27.
- ^ Brand, Ezra. "Basilica, Stoa, and Cathedra: A Historical and Linguistic Analysis of the Talmudic Passage on the Synagogue of Alexandria (Sukkah 51b)". www.ezrabrand.com. Retrieved 2023-12-28.
- ^ a b c "The Jews in Alexandria". Museum of the Jewish People at Beit Hatfutsot. Archived from the original on 2021-07-14. Retrieved 2020-06-27.
- OCLC 1045466410.
- ISBN 9780199571451. Retrieved 2020-06-27.
- S2CID 162485754.
- ^ Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews XVIII.8.1.
- ^ Philo of Alexandria, On the Embassy to Gaius XXX.201.
- ISBN 1-85109-439-3
- ^ "Pogrom in Alexandria - Livius". www.Livius.org. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
- ^ Seaver, James Everett (1952). Persecution of the Jews in the Roman Empire (300-438). Lawrence, University of Kansas Publications, 1952.
- ^ ISSN 2037-741X.
- ^ Bosscher, Floris. "Homecoming: Alexandria synagogue hosts Egypt's largest Jewish prayers in decades". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 2020-06-27.