“Novella 37” issued by Justinian I [North Africa]: “Novel 37…Concerning the African Church…The same emperor (Justinian) to Salomon…Your Sublimity must take care that no Arians, Donatists or Jews or others who are known not to adhere to the orthodox religion…but that impious persons are entirely excluded from sacred things and temples and no permission whatever shall be granted then to ordain bishops or clergymen, or to baptize any persons, making them adherents of their error…According to our laws which we enacted, all heretics are forbidden to perform any public acts, and they shall not be permitted to occupy any public office, or through any unlawful solicitation hold any administrative post…We further deny Jews the right to have any Christian slaves, as is also forbidden in former laws, and which we are anxious to uphold unimpaired, so that they shall not slaves of the orthodox religion, and if they perchance, receive catechumens, they shall not dare to circumcise them. Nor do we permit their synagogues to stand, but we want them to be changed to the form of churches. Nor do we permit Jews, pagans, Donatists, Arians, or any other heretics to even have grottos, or to perform any sort of ecclesiastical rite…Given August 1, 535 A.D.”
“Introduction to Justinian’s Novels, 2nd Edition.” Fred H. Blume, Accessed online 9/23/2011 ADD PAGE # ADD RESEARCHER/DATE