a nation in flux #6

The 6th Century

The Dark Ages

• Conflict / Violence
• Absence of culture
• 20% loss in population due to global cooling
• Jews are no longer the majority in Israel

End of Amoraim

• Ravina d. 500
• Geonim begin in 589
• Reish Galuta still has political power
• Rabban Savorai are the spiritual leaders

Talmudic additions

• Rabbanan Savorai were the final editors of the Talmud. Adding aids to study.

Persia

• Trying times as the Persian Empire weakens.
• Kavadh I rules from 488-531. Brutal decrees on Jews, under the influence of Mazdak.
• Mazdak abolished private property, marriage, meat.
• Mazdak is not accepted by the elites, and assisinated in the 520's

JEwish Leadership

• Due to the anarchy, in 515 - Reish Galuta, Mar Zutra I reacts, declares an independent Jewish state in Mechoza.
• Lasts a few short years, with the death of Mar Zutra I
• Jews relocate
• Rav Shereira Gaon - Times of Anger

MAR ZUTRA

• Takes his son to Israel - which was safer ensuring that the Hereditary Reish Galuta continued
• Takes a complete Talmud Bavli to Israel - later send around the world.

Christianity

• In general, Christianity stagnates
• 14 popes rule
• In Rome - 1 Million to 20000 in a century
• Byzantines (speaking Latin) ruled by Theodosius II who fortifies the walls of Constantinople.
• Even Atilla the Hun could not conquer Constantinople.

Pluralism

• The notion of a religious work that embrases arguments is antithetical to Christianity

Justin I

• Appointed Emperor in 518
• Rose through the ranks - when the emperor died he was the only commander in Constantinople even though he was illiterate
• Uncle and mentor of Justinian

JUSTINIAN

• Rules from 527
• Known as very harsh - reconquered much teritory
• Famous for the Code of Justinian which superceded all other Roman Law
• Corpus Juris Civilis enshrined Augustine's phylosophy

Corpus Juris Civilis

• Requires everyone to convert - except Jews
• Enshrined Augustine's philosophy - Keep Jews alive but persecute them
• Arianism is forced to convert
• Jews could not take public office
• Shema is banned
• Mishna and Hebrew is outlawed

Jewish response

• Shuls that are captured are transformed into Churches
• Jews stop building shuls
• Jews view Christianity as the same as Paganism due to the symbology and imagery

bubonic plague

• 541-542: Killed 100 Million People
• 40% of Constantinople is wiped out
• The last great Plague until the Black Death (14th century)
• Justinian became even more religious - but the plague stops his conquest of the rest of Europe.

the diaspora

• Communities in Spain, France and Italy are spared

A Jewish kingdom?

• 515: Yussuf Dhu Nuwas
• Converts to Judaism and establishing a kingdom of Jews in Southern Yemen
• Begins persecuting Christians and is killed within a decade

religious fevor

• Byzantines
• Mazdaks
• Zoroastrians
• Manichaeism

lack of Jewish leadership

• Mar Zutra I was a strong leader, but his zealousness ended the Reish Galuta.
• Torah Sages become political leaders as well.

the geonim

• 559 - Pumbedita is closed and the weekly sermon is canceled
• 589 - 1038
• Heads of the Yeshiva in Pumbedita and Sura
• (Reish Galuta is later reinstated in 7th century)
• Non political and non hereditory
• 42 in Sura, 52 in Pumpedita