[MUSIC] Hi there! Welcome back to this privileged spot in front of the medieval church of Santa Maria del Mar. If you are watching this video, that means that you are curious about the way in which other religions perceived magic in the Middle Ages. As I promised, this is the place to learn more about it. The two optional videos included in this unit will lead you through the life of Jewish communities in the Near East and their notion of magic. But first things first, who were these people and how did they manage to live within a context where they were always virtual strangers? In the Middle Ages, Jewish communities were scattered all over the various kingdoms of Europe, Asia and North-Africa. In all those places, they were always in the minority and their legal status directly depended on the religious and political legislation of the majority that surrounded them. Thus, for example, the Jews who lived in the European Christian kingdoms were subjected to the laws of the monarchs and the ruling of the Church, whereas the Jews living in Islamic territories depended on the regulations of Islam and its rulers. During the following minutes, we will focus on the latter and, in particular,on their religious educational system. This is important because our next and last video will address the issue of Jewish magic, which was taught and learnt in a completely different manner. Eastern Jews were protected, and also constrained, by the <i>dhimma</i>, the protection agreement between Muslims and non-Muslims that allowed the latter to live in Islamic territories, but, at the same time, conditioned their way of life. Non-Muslims were subjected to special taxes, their attire had to be conspicuously different from that of Muslims, and they could not erect new centres of worship. Non-Muslim men could not marry a Muslim woman, and their testimony was not deemed acceptable in any trial against a Muslim, nor could they have Muslim slaves, nor receive an inheritance from a Muslim. And, of course, proselytizing was strictly forbidden. On the bright side, though, they were tolerated, they had legal rights, and were free to practice their own religion, choose their leaders, and maintain a prosperous commercial and professional activity. It was thanks to this community, religious and professional independence that Judaism survived and, what's more, influenced by the Islamic context, even flourished in many fields such as poetry, medicine, philosophy, mathematics or astronomy. Many literary works were written in Hebrew, and many others were written in Arabic using the Hebrew alphabet, that is, what we call Judeo-Arabic. But how were Jewish children educated? Without a doubt, the answer includes the synagogue. The most important events of the life of any medieval Jew happened there, at the centre of liturgy and community life. It held assemblies and was organized according to ruling bodies that guaranteed the survival of the community, which, as could be said for any human group, started with the education of their children. Religious education depended entirely on the rabbi. He was the religious representative of the <i>aljama</i>, that is, the whole community, and he was in charge of the activities of the synagogue, the house of study (that is, the <i>bet midrash)</i> and a lot of other community services. Highly respected due to his morality, religiosity, and biblical expertise, he was elected by the ruling bodies of the community, and was responsible for the education of the children. In fact, religious education had been a matter of concern for Jews throughout their history, and its regulation was already well established in the most important texts of Judaism. The first written source any Jewish child learnt from was the <i>Tanakh</i>, the Jewish Bible, that is, mostly, the Old Testament of Christians. It comprises, among others, the Pentateuch, that is, the Torah, a term you're probably more familiar with if you come from a Christian background. From a didactic point of view, it was quite a smart choice, for it included history, legends, faith, literature and the Hebrew language, whilst it allowed children to get acquainted with the will of God and His intervention in the history of Jews as the people chosen to be in a covenant with Him. The other most important references for the education of children were, first, the Mishnah, the oral tradition that was passed down from God to Moses, from him to Josuah and so on, and was compiled and written at the end of the second century of the Christian Era. It regulates the life of Jewish communities down to the smallest details. Second, the Talmud, that is, the commentaries of great scholars of various generations, from the third century of the Christian Era onwards, on the text of the Torah. The education of Jewish children was supposed to comprise their first 18 years, the more someone studied, the more respected he was within his community. That was at least the theory, but the fact is that the average cultural level of medieval Jews was indeed above that of the members of other religious communities of their time, and not only quantitatively but also qualitatively, for girls were also entitled to receive such an education. In 12th-century Egypt, for example, blind men were considered the most suitable candidates to teach girls. Unable to see them, their interaction would not scandalize anyone. Even several women acted as teachers. Studying the Scriptures, the children nourished their minds but also shaped their character and acquired the ethics that would rule their lives. Jews spent most of their time at the synagogue and the house of study, especially on Saturdays and other holidays. Thus, the synagogue has been the cornerstone of the Jewish educational system for more than 2,000 years. In the Middle Ages, no matter how poor the community was, the house of study and the synagogue were the two fundamental venues where education was imparted. Although basic education was the responsibility of parents, private tutors were also hired. The figure of the illiterate Jew was actually rather infrequent during the Medieval period. However, the highest religious education was only available to those who could afford it, and most Jews didn't know the Talmud in detail, (and even less other treatises). The study of sciences, however, was entirely another matter. The rabbi was not responsible for it, and the student had to look for a master who would undertake his training. As in many other professional fields, that master was usually a relative or a renowned expert who accepted the student under his care. What was the position of magic in this educational system? Was it learnt with the other sciences? Did it pose a threat for the religious establishment as we have seen happened within Christianity? I'm afraid you'll have to wait for the next video to answer those questions! [MUSIC]
