RESPONDING TO VIOLENCE: THE HASKAMOT OF BARCELONA AND THE JEWISH POLITICAL TRADITION

Abstract

The aim of this article is to present the Haskamot of Barcelona of 1354 in their political and legal context. These agreements were a response to the difficult situation faced by the Jews of the Crown of Aragon in the 14th c., when natural and human disasters threatened the survival of their communities. The target of this project was to assemble all the aljamas of the Crown in a supra-communal assembly of representatives. The drafters also wished to achieve a number a measures from the King and the Church improving the delicate situation of Catalan-Aragonese Jewry. These Haskamot, despite not succeeding in their objectives, are a perfect starting point for any research on the legal and jurisdictional relations between Christians and Jews.