LL-L "History" 2006.05.24 (01) [E]

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L O W L A N D S - L * 24 May 2006 * Volume 02
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From: "Thomas Byro" <greenherring at gmail.com>
Subject: LL-L "History" 2006.05.23 (03) [E]

Ron

Has anyone looked for (and found) evidence of a Jewish prsence in the
pagan Hedeby and Birka?  Wonderful trade opportunities and the pagans
wouldn't have cared what beliefs you had, if any.

Tom Byro

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From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: History

Tom,

I have never heard of Jews arriving in the northeast that early.  In those
early days they seem to have confined there presence in Northern Europe to
Roman settlements, mostly around the Rhine and its tributaries.  I would
be very surprised to find out that some had ventured into Saxon and
Scandinavian territories, since the Roman Empire never managed to occupy
those areas.

I think it's best not to assume that most Jews were traders in those early
days, though many probably were out of necessity and convenience.  Trading
and allied professions were a predominant occupation later (and led to
stereotyping on the uninformed assumption that it was a matter of choice).
This was a result of Christian intolerance that prevented Jews from truly
settling as well as from owning land and pursuing most types of careers. 
Jews, including locally born ones, were treated as foreigners, had to buy
expensive, perpetually temporary residence permits, were frequently
expelled and thus had to constantly find new abodes.  They became (almost)
real citizens as late as in the 18th and 19th centuries.

As I said earlier, sizeable Jewish communities arrived at the Continental
North Sea coast very late, beginning with the 17th century.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

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