The Jews in Palestine in the Eighteenth Century
The Jews in Palestine in the Eighteenth Century
Under the Patronage of the Istanbul committee of Officials for Palestine
Research reveals a clear connection between the legal and social status of the Jews in Palestine in the 18th century and their ties with the Diaspora. The Jews who had immigrated to Palestine in that period were mostly poor and elderly. The country was economically backward and politically unstable, which made it impossible for the immigrants to support themselves through productive work. Therefore they lived off the contributions of their brethren overseas. Taxes and fees imposed by the Ottoman rulers increased the financial desperation of the Jews in Palestine. Prohibitions against young unmarried immigrant men and women made for an unstable population largely of old men, many of whom died shortly after immigrating. Families succumbed to disease, earthquakes, and famine, but in the face of these problems, the Jewish communities in Palestine persevered.
Barnai’s book makes a valuable contribution to scholarship. There is no comparable work on the subject.’—Aron Rodrigue, Indiana University
A major contribution to our knowledge of Jerusalem during the Ottoman period and fundamental to an understanding of her Jewish population during the 18th century. The book is an excellent collection of material well organized, rich in detail and new interpretation, which illuminates the particular intricacies and complexities of Eretz Israel (Palestine).’—Steven Bowman, University of Cincinatti
Jacob Barnai is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Jewish History and Palestine Studies at Haifa University and Visiting Professor at Hebrew University, Jerusalem.
