The
Ummayad dynasty that rules Moorish Spain for the next century, and most,
but not all subsequent Moorish rulers, maintained a tolerant and multicultural
atmosphere that respected and protected minorities, encouraged science
and the arts and invited scholars from all over to come and serve the Caliph.
Flowery poetry and the arts, in Arabic and Hebrew, flourished and were
recited in the languorous evening wine-parties while the sciences prospered
as never before.
Jews,
Moors and Christians lived and worked together in this tolerant atmosphere.
Many Christians adopted some of the Moors' culture and became known as
mozarabs. Jews similarly adopted Moorish customs, studied Arabic and the
Koran while Arabs studied Hebrew and Jewish scriptures. The Greek philosophers
original writings were studied.
Learned
Jews and Arab scholars translated them into Arabic and Hebrew and from
there into Latin setting the stage for the European Renaissance. Jewish
scholars developed the theories that created trigonometry. Algebra was
invented.
Arabic
numbers replaced the unwieldy Roman numerals. Paper was manufactured for
the first time. Immense libraries developed and were open to the public.
Cordoba had a million volumes at the time when the largest library in Europe
had a dozen manuscripts.
Jewish
philosophers studied Plato and Aristotle and developed new philosophies
incorporating these theories with Jewish theology and thinking. Prominent
among these were Averroes and Maimonides whose writings aroused much controversy
and criticism from the narrowly traditionalist Jewish religious authorities
particularly of France and Germany because of their use of reason and logic
rather than tradition and blind faith. Solomon Ibn Gavriol, ibn Ezra and
Judah ha Levi wrote exquisite poetry and Moses Ibn Ezra and others wrote
grammar and mathematical treatises. With the interest in Arabic grammar,
Hebrew grammar was developed and the language revived.
A
striking example was Hasdai ibn Shaprut. He was a famous Jewish physician
who rose to become personal physician and chief advisor to the Caliph and
his chief tax collector. Becoming very wealthy, he was very charitable,
founded rabbinical institutes, purchased Talmuds, built synagogues, etc.
He also recruited 2 scholars from Morocco to expanded the Hebrew language
and develop its structure,, which permitted its use in science and in the
wonderful Jewish poetry of Spain. And one could go on like this for a long
time.
Jewish
refugees fleeing persecution in Christian Europe flocked to Spain much
as they did to the USA in our day. Even educated Christian scholars seeking
erudition moved to tolerant Spain, some even converting to Judaism. In
the 8th and 9th centuries thousands of Jews from Morocco and Egypt migrated
to Al Andalus.
Actively
engaged in trade Spanish Jews were the main Andalusian importers-exporters
of silk, leather, textiles, grain, fruit spices and cattle. Jewish travellers
such as Benjamin of Tudela left records of travels even more extensive
than Marco Polo's, reaching China a century before him. Communication and
interchange with Jewish areas throughout the Mediterranean was profuse
all the way from North Africa to Baghdad and Damascus as well as the Ashkenazi
centres as evidenced by the documents found in the Cairo geniza.