In the year 414 Ataúlfo withdraws from Gaul, due to the harassment of the magister militum Constantius, and crosses the Pyrenees. It is the first incursion of the Visigoths in Hispania. After fighting against the Vandals, Sueves, Alans and even Byzantines, they subdue the natives, Hispano-Romans, and come to control the Iberian Peninsula.
What about the Jews at this time?
While the Visigoths profess the Arian creed (heresy of Christianity), the Jews settled in Hispania enjoy the same rights as the Hispano-Romans (Christians). But after the conversion to Christianity of the Goths, in the time of King Recaredo, things changed. In the Third Council of Toledo (589) the king, the nobles and the clergy abjured Arianism by converting to Christianity, unifying Hispania. Those who came out of the council badly were the Jews, marriage between Christians and Jews was prohibited, while they were prevented from holding public office. Depending on the king in turn, these prohibitions were applied more or less rigorously:
- In the year 616, King Sisebuto decreed the forced conversion of the Jews or, otherwise, they had to leave the Gothic territory.
- King Suintila allowed the return of the Hebrews who had emigrated to Gaul.
- Rescenvinto once again turned coexistence around, declaring that "Judaism pollutes the country's soil."
- His successor, Wamba, again softened the anti-Jewish policy.
- But the worst were Ervigio and Egica, the first returned to the policy of forced conversion, which triggered the Jewish flight to North Africa, the second accused the Jews of conspiring, together with the exiled Jews in Africa, to overthrow him. egica ordered to separate the children from her parents to educate them in the Christian faith.
After all this coming and going, I suppose it is clear why the Jews support the Muslim invaders.
