Violence in the aljamas of Navarra in the 14th century

Abstract

Medieval Jewish life constitutes a topic that captivates innumerable contemporary authors. The present work proposes an enquiry into the violent and delictive behaviour of Hebrew communities in the Kingdom of Navarre, since the coming of the Evreux dynasty, between the years 1328 and 1350. This issue will be approached from the “calonias” recorded in the “Registros de Comptos”. These “calonias” are analysed from a cualitative and quantitative perspective in order to obtain a faithful reconstruction of the past.
These Hebrew communities are highly respectful of the law and their beliefs. However, they tend to commit infrigements, of the physical type, and the sanctions remain registered by the court. These infractions reflect the illegal behaviour, the recurrences, and the frequent penalties of the period. This study will try to identify the different transgressions and how these influence the normal functioning of the “aljama”.