Publisher's Synopsis
Excerpt from The Hebrew Review and Magazine of Rabbinical Literature, Vol. 3: Tebath Ab, 5596; January July, 1836
Longobardi, like most of the north ern barbarians who embraced chris tianity, had been converted by Arian teachers. They knew from expe ricuce that they could not rely on the affection or loyalty of their Athanasian or orthodox subjects; while the Jews, on the contrary, had always been most faithful to their Arian rulers. Accordingly the Longobardi, not only placed the Jews on a footing Of perfect equa ltty with their other subjects, but at the first establishment of the new monarchy, they granted them im munities and exemptions from many of the burthens, which weighed heavily on the conquered land.
If we ret1ace the short sketch which we have now submitted to our readers, we find that at the com mencement of the seventh century, the Jews were Oppressed at the two extremities of Europe, in the Spanish peninsula, and the empire of Constantinople That among the Longobardi in Italy, they were placed on an equality with the rest Of their conquered fellow-citizens; while in the south Of France they enjoyed perfect liberty and consider able political in?uence. But few of them were settled among the Franks in the northern parts Of France, and their congregations in the Roman colonies on the Rhine were equally inconsiderable. The patriarchal dignity, - which was held during ten generations by descend ants of Hillel, who resided at Ti herias, and whose authority over the western Jews had been acknow ledged by the Christian emperors as late as the days oftheodosius II. Had ceased to exist. So that the Jews of Europe, without any visible or authorized chief, and deprived Of that centre Of unity, which the patriarch had Offered to them, stood isolated from each other, without any community of feelihg, or fre quent and continuous intercourse.
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