Acts – Page 8 – OAJA.org

1. Full Date of Act	Sep. 27, 626
2. Name of Act (or Short Description)	Canon 13 issued at the Council of Clichy.
3. Geography of Act	Kingdom of the Franks
4. Text of Act	As for the Jews, if they shall presume to draw Christian slaves to Judaism or if they should inflict on them harsh torments, those slaves shall be transferred to the fisc’s authority. Those Jews shall not be admitted to any public function. The banquets of Jews should be utterly repudiated.
5. Source	Amnon Linder (ed.), “The Jews in the Legal Sources of the Early Middle Ages,” Wayne State University Press, Detroit, MI, 1997, pp.479-480.
6. Researcher	None
7. Year of Research	None
8. Notes	Researcher According to the source above, the date of this Act is “September 27 in Chlothar II’s forty-second regnal year; but since we do not know whether his reign commenced toward the end of September or the beginning of October, the indicated date could correspond to either” Sep. 27, 626 or Sep. 27, 627.

1. Full Date of Act	627
2. Name of Act (or Short Description)	“Jews Banned” issued by Emperor Herclius
3. Geography of Act	Byzantine Empire
4. Text of Act	Commentary from other sources: 1) Emperor Heraclius forbids Jews to enter Jerusalem and in other ways harasses the Palestinian Jews. Funk & Wagnalls: Jewish Encyclopedia, Volume IV (1903)
5. Source	None
6. Researcher	None
7. Year of Research	None
8. Notes	None

1. Full Date of Act	Sep. 27, 627
2. Name of Act (or Short Description)	Canon 13 issued at the Council of Clichy.
3. Geography of Act	Kingdom of the Franks
4. Text of Act	As for the Jews, if they shall presume to draw Christian slaves to Judaism or if they should inflict on them harsh torments, those slaves shall be transferred to the fisc’s authority. Those Jews shall not be admitted to any public function. The banquets of Jews should be utterly repudiated.
5. Source	Amnon Linder (ed.), “The Jews in the Legal Sources of the Early Middle Ages,” Wayne State University Press, Detroit, MI, 1997, pp.479-480.
6. Researcher	None
7. Year of Research	None
8. Notes	Researcher According to the source above, the date of this Act is “September 27 in Chlothar II’s forty-second regnal year; but since we do not know whether his reign commenced toward the end of September or the beginning of October, the indicated date could correspond to either” Sep. 27, 626 or Sep. 27, 627.

1. Full Date of Act	628
2. Name of Act (or Short Description)	"Forced Conversion of Jews" issued by Emperor Heraclius
3. Geography of Act	Byzantium
4. Text of Act	Commentary from other sources: 1) Heraclius set out to forcibly convert the Jews of the Byzantine Empire, reportedly advising his friend Dagobert, king of the Franks, to do likewise. "And after his victory over the Persians, he renewed the prohibition for Jews to enter Jerusalem." [The Greek and/or Latin text could be found in the "Chronicon Paschale" or in the Corpus Scriptorum Historiae Byzantinae" (Body/Collection of Byzantine Historical Writers) which contains both the Greek and Latin texts. See also: Corpus Fontium Historiae Byzantinae.) Falk, Avner : A Psychoanalytic History of the Jews. Fairleigh Dickinson Univ Press (1996) pp. 353–354; Funk and Wagnalls: Byzantine Empire: Heraclius. Jewish Encyclopedia. (1906); Archiv für katholisches Kirchenrecht, Volume 44 (Archive for catholic church laws; Volume 44) (Mainz; 1880) wikipedia.org; simpletoremember.com
5. Source	None
6. Researcher	None
7. Year of Research	None
8. Notes	None

1. Full Date of Act	629
2. Name of Act (or Short Description)	Decree issued by King Dagobert
3. Geography of Act	Present-day France
4. Text of Act	Commentary from other sources: 1) “In 629 Dagobert issued an edict commanding the wholesale baptism of all unbelievers in his domains, under threat of instant banishment. A great number of Jews thereupon sold their effects and left the kingdom; but heretic-hunting had not made sufficient progress in public esteem at that early date, therefore many of them were but slightly affected.” Gustav Pearlson: “Twelve centuries of Jewish persecution: a brief outline of the sufferings of the Hebrew race in Christian lands, together with some account of the different laws and specific restrictions under which they have ar various times been placed.” p. 44
5. Source	None
6. Researcher	None
7. Year of Research	None
8. Notes	None

1. Full Date of Act	632
2. Name of Act (or Short Description)	Decree issued by Heraclius
3. Geography of Act	Present-day Italy
4. Text of Act	Commentary from other sources: 1) “In A.D. 632, [Byzantine Emperor] Heraclius decreed that all Jews be baptized. The astounding attempt to unify the empire by forced conversions brought the usual reverse results: When the armies of Islam advanced on the Christian East a few years later, Jews, baptized or not, received them as welcome avengers.” Flannery, Edward H.: “The Anguish of the Jews.” p. 68 2) “The outcome was fingerpointing, recriminations, and purges of alleged collaborators with the Persians, especially Jews. Heraclius may have arrived at that decision while at Jerusalem in 630. Although an extremely harsh and unrealistic and ineffective measure, it was consistent with Heraclius’ other strenuous efforts to achieve religious uniformity among the subjects within his empire. But other factors may have been present.” Kaegi, Walter Emil: "Heraclius: Emperor of Byzantium.” p. 216
5. Source	None
6. Researcher	None
7. Year of Research	None
8. Notes	None

1. Full Date of Act	633
2. Name of Act (or Short Description)	“Converts to Judaism” issued by King Sisenand and Archbischop Isidore of Seville
3. Geography of Act	Visigothic Kingdom
4. Text of Act	Commentary from other sources: 1) "King Sisenand and Archbishop Isadore of Seville force converts to Judaism back to Christianity." Funk & Wagnalls: Jewish Encyclopedia, Volume IV (1903)
5. Source	None
6. Researcher	None
7. Year of Research	None
8. Notes	None

1. Full Date of Act	Jun. 3, 633
2. Name of Act (or Short Description)	“Synod of Alexandria” presided over Cyrus of Alexandria
3. Geography of Act	Alexandria; Present-day Egypt
4. Text of Act	[…] 57) Henceforth no Jew may be compelled to the reception of Christianity. Those who were compelled under King Sisebut, and received the sacrament, must remain Christians. 63) If a Jew has a Christian wife, if he wishes to continue to live with her, he must become a Christian. If he does not, they are to be separated, and the children of unbelieving (Jewish) mothers and Christian fathers must be Christians. 64) Baptized Jews who have fallen away from the faith may not be witnessed, even though they maintain that they are Christians. 65) On command of the King, the Synod orders that Jews and the sons of Jews shall discharge no public offices. 66) Jews may not buy or possess Christian slaves. If they have such, they become free.
5. Source	Robinson Clark, William (editor): A History of the Councils of the Church, from the Original Documents (Vol. 4); (Edinburgh; 1895); Kaegi, Walter Emil: Heraclius, Emperor of Byzantium (Cambridge; 2003)
6. Researcher	None
7. Year of Research	None
8. Notes	None

1. Full Date of Act	Dec. 3, 633
2. Name of Act (or Short Description)	Canon 58 issued by the Fourth Council of Toledo
3. Geography of Act	Visigothic Kingdom
4. Text of Act	Canon 58: The avarice of some persons is so great, that, as the Apostle saith, through covetousness they have erred from the faith. Many ecclesiastics and laymen have, by accepting presents from the Jews, bestowed their protection on infidelity; such persons are deservedly to be held as belonging to Antichrist, who thus act contrary to Christ. Therefore, whoever henceforth, whether bishop, ecclesiastic, or layman, shall afford them his protection, for reward or favor, to the disparagement of the Christian faith, let him become an alien from the Catholic Church and the kingdom of God, as a truly profane and sacrilegious person; for it is right that he should be severed from the body of Christ, who makes himself a patron of Christ‘s enemies.
5. Source	Justin T. Dellinger, “True Barbarians?: The Role of Visigothic Iberia in Medieval Persecutory Discourse,” The University of Texas at Arlington, May 2010, p. 111, available from mavmatrix.uta.edu.
6. Researcher	None
7. Year of Research	None
8. Notes	None

1. Full Date of Act	Dec. 5, 633
2. Name of Act (or Short Description)	Canons 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65 & 66 by the Fourth Council of Toledo
3. Geography of Act	Spain
4. Text of Act	The Fourth Council of Toledo Canon 57: ‘In respect to Jews, this holy synod has resolved that in future no one shall be compelled to receive our faith; ...' Canon 59: 'Many who have formerly been elevated to the Christian faith, are now known, in contempt of Christ, not only to practice Jewish ceremonies, but have even dared to practice the abomination of circumcision. ...Should such persons as they may have circumcised, be children of the above, they shall be taken from the society of their parents; and if slaves, they shall be liberated in compensation for the injury.' Canon 60: 'We decree, that the sons and daughters of Jews are to be separated from their parents, lest they be involved in their errors. They are to be placed in monasteries, or with Christian men and women who fear God, ...' Canon 61: 'If Jews that have been baptized, afterwards renounce Christianity, and thus become liable to any penalty, their believing children shall not be excluded inheriting their property; ...Canon 62: '...there is to be no communion between Jews that have been converted to the Christian faith, and those who adhere to their ancient rites, ...and the former be publicly scourged.' Canon 63: 'Jew who have Christian wives are to be advised by the bishop of their diocese, that if they wish to live with them they must become Christians; ...' Canon 64: '...Therefore Jews who were formerly Christians, but now deny the faith in Christ, are not to be admitted as witnesses, although they declare themselves to be Christians. ... Canon 65: 'B...that Jews and their descendants are not to hold public employments, ... Canon 66: '...that no Jew shall have Christian servants, nor purchase Christian slaves, nor retain such by gift of any person. ...
5. Source	“True Barbarians? : The Role of Visigothic Iberia in Medieval Persecutory Discourse.” Justin T. Dellinger. May 2010, Page 110-114. Online paper.
6. Researcher	None
7. Year of Research	None
8. Notes	None

1. Full Date of Act	Apr. 636
2. Name of Act (or Short Description)	Synod of Clichy
3. Geography of Act	Present-day France [Provisional]
4. Text of Act	"3. All Jews should be obliged to leave Spain and only Catholics shall be allowed to live in the [country]..."
5. Source	Hefele, A History of the Councils of the Church, v. 4: 461
6. Researcher	None
7. Year of Research	None
8. Notes	None

1. Full Date of Act	Jun. 30, 636
2. Name of Act (or Short Description)	From the Fifth Council of Toledo
3. Geography of Act	Present-day Spain
4. Text of Act	Those whom the Jews have circumsized, if they are their own sons, those children are to be separated from the care of their parents.
5. Source	Decretum Gratiani, Pars III, Distintio IV, C. XCIV
6. Researcher	None
7. Year of Research	None
8. Notes	None

1. Full Date of Act	637
2. Name of Act (or Short Description)	“Pact of Umar” issued by Umar ibn al-Khattab
3. Geography of Act	Arabia
4. Text of Act	Commentary from other sources: 1) Jews were not allowed to build new synagogues, had to pray quietly and were forbidden from preventing other Jews from converting. They were also forbidden to ride horses or hold judicial or civil posts. […] Jews are to wear yellow belts or turbans. […] After the fall of the city Caesarea, the anti-Jewish tenets of the “Pact of Omar” were enforced against them. Jews were not allowed to build new synagogues, had to pray quietly and were forbidden from preventing other Jews from converting. They were also forbidden to ride horses or hold judicial or civil posts. "Jewish Timeline - 70 (9 Av 3830) JERUSALEM (Eretz Israel) to 1948 - Part 1;" (March 15, 2016) israelarticlesdraiman.blogspot.com
5. Source	None
6. Researcher	None
7. Year of Research	None
8. Notes	None

1. Full Date of Act	Jan. 9, 638
2. Name of Act (or Short Description)	Canon 3 issued by the Sixth Council of Toledo
3. Geography of Act	Spain
4. Text of Act	The inflexible treachery of the Jews has by piety and diving grace been overcome; for inspired by the Most High God, our most excellent and Christian prince, inflamed with ardour for the faith, together with the clergy of his kingdom, has resolved to destroy their prevarication and superstition to the utmost, by not permitting the residence of any person in the land who is not a Catholic. For which zeal we give thanks to the Almighty King of heaven, that He has created so illustrious a soul, and endued it with His wisdom. May he grant him a long life in this world, and everlasting glory in the future. We therefore now decree, and confirm what has hitherto been enacted in general synod respecting the Jews, seeing that all requisite for their salvation has been done with circumspection. We now declare all such edicts to be valid. We hereby deliberately resolve, that whoever in future shall obtain the sovereignty, shall not ascend the throne before he has sworn not to permit the Jews to infringe this holy faith, and in no wise to be seduced, either through neglect or cupidity to favor their perfidy.
5. Source	“True Barbarians? : The Role of Visigothic Iberia in Medieval Persecutory Discourse.” Justin T. Dellinger. May 2010, Page 114. Online paper.
6. Researcher	None
7. Year of Research	None
8. Notes	None

1. Full Date of Act	640
2. Name of Act (or Short Description)	“Ban on Jews” issued by Caliph Omar
3. Geography of Act	Rashidun Caliphate
4. Text of Act	Commentary from other sources: 1) Umar, the Second Caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate, banishes all Jews from Arabia. Funk & Wagnalls: Jewish Encyclopedia, Volume IV (1903)
5. Source	None
6. Researcher	None
7. Year of Research	None
8. Notes	None

1. Full Date of Act	642
2. Name of Act (or Short Description)	"Expulsion of Jews"
3. Geography of Act	Visigothic Empire
4. Text of Act	Commentary from other sources: 1) Jews are expelled from the Visigothic Empire. "Jewish Persecution \| Timeline of Judaism \| History of AntiSemitism;" simpletoremember.com
5. Source	None
6. Researcher	None
7. Year of Research	None
8. Notes	None

1. Full Date of Act	Oct. 24, 650
2. Name of Act (or Short Description)	Canon 9 issued at the Council of Babylon, by the Evocation of King Clovis II.
3. Geography of Act	Kingdom of the Franks
4. Text of Act	It is a matter of piety and religion that the bond of captivity be completely redeemed from Christians. Hence the holy Synod is known to have decreed that no slave should be sold outside the borders or boundaries that belong to the kingdom of the lord king Clovis: lest, far be it, through such commerce, Christian slaves be held implicitly either in the bond of captivity, or, what is worse, in Jewish servitude.
5. Source	“Conciliorum Omnium Generalium Et Provincialivm Collectio Regia ab anno DCXLIX. ad annum DCLXXVI. [Royal Collection of Councils of All General and Provincial Councils from the year 649 to the year 676],” Royal Printing House, Paris, 1644, p. 291, available from digital.ub.uni-paderborn.de.
6. Researcher	None
7. Year of Research	None
8. Notes	Translator The text of this Act is available in Latin in the source above. It was translated using Google translate.

1. Full Date of Act	Dec. 16, 653
2. Name of Act (or Short Description)	Canon 10 issued by the Eighth Council of Toledo.
3. Geography of Act	Visigothic Kingdom
4. Text of Act	That the election of a new king should take place in the capital or where the previous king died (by the optimate), with the consent of the bishops and the high palace officials; the king, however, should defend the Catholic faith against Jews and heretics and not ascend the throne until he has sworn an oath.
5. Source	Karl Joseph von Hefele (ed.), “Conciliengeschichte nach dem Quellen [History of the Councils According to the Sources],” Volume 3, Freiburg im Breisgau, 1877, p. 99, available from archive.org.
6. Researcher	None
7. Year of Research	None
8. Notes	Translator The text of this Act was published in German in the source above. It was translated using Google translate.

1. Full Date of Act	Dec. 16, 653
2. Name of Act (or Short Description)	Canon 12 issued by the Eighth Council of Toledo.
3. Geography of Act	Visigothic Kingdom
4. Text of Act	With regard to the Jews, the decrees of the Toletan Synod under Sisenand should be upheld.
5. Source	Karl Joseph von Hefele (ed.), “Conciliengeschichte nach dem Quellen [History of the Councils According to the Sources],” Volume 3, Freiburg im Breisgau, 1877, p. 99, available from archive.org.
6. Researcher	None
7. Year of Research	None
8. Notes	Researcher The Toletan Synod referenced above, is the Fourth Synod [Council] of Toledo of Dec. 5, 633. Canons 57-66 covered restrictions on the Jewish community. For more information, see the above source pp. 85-86, or find details here on oaja.org - a search for 633 using the Year Range search function will bring up the information quickly. Translator The text of this Act was published in German in the source above. It was translated using Google translate.

1. Full Date of Act	Dec. 16, 653
2. Name of Act (or Short Description)	Order issued by the Eight Council of Toledo
3. Geography of Act	Spain
4. Text of Act	…XIIII…By suggesting that the most glorious in the council to insert in the canons of our Lord commanded that the Jews are not allowed to have Christian wives, concubines or even, nor a Christian slave compare to their own use. …The Christians also forbid the marriages of the Jews mingled one with another. ...Also, Christian groups forbid the Jews, in which it may have been proven to be contumatia Annals of excommunication…Because of the kings of God's favor of Catholics under the domination of the Jews from the stand in the second day of the week as far as the Lord's Supper in the Passover, that is to proceed in the same four days among Christians, and Catholics, the people are presumed not to mix himself with any place or on the occasion of any kind…
5. Source	“Synodus Toletana Octava.” No Author. March 2008, Accessed online.
6. Researcher	None
7. Year of Research	None
8. Notes	Translator Original webpage is in Latin, Google translation was used on 9/14/2011 to change text to English.

1. Full Date of Act	654
2. Name of Act (or Short Description)	Decree of King Recceswinth
3. Geography of Act	Visigothic Kingdom
4. Text of Act	Commentary from other sources: 1) Recceswinth forced Judaizing Christians (converted Jews who still kept Jewish traditions) to swear loyalty to the Church or die. They were forced to spend Jewish and Christian holy days with the clergy, but were not forced to eat pork. http://www.jewishhistory.org.il/history.phpstartyear=650&endyear=659
5. Source	None
6. Researcher	None
7. Year of Research	None
8. Notes	None

1. Full Date of Act	Mar. 1, 654
2. Name of Act (or Short Description)	The Visigothic Code, Book 12, Title 2 issued by King Reccaswinth
3. Geography of Act	Visigothic Kingdom
4. Text of Act	[…] 5) No Jew shall celebrate the Passover upon the fourteenth day of the month, nor shall perform any of the ceremonies customary at such times. Nor shall any Jew, in honor of this ancient, erroneous belief, observe any festival days, great or small; or attempt their observance; or desist from labor upon any holidays; or hereafter keep the Sabbath, or any other sacred days prescribed by this rites, or attempt to do so. Anyone detected violating this law shall be liable to the condemnation and penalty prescribed for the same. 7) No Jew shall circumcise another; nor shall a person who has permitted himself to be circumcised be exempt from the operation of the law. No slave, freeborn person, or freedman, native or foreigner, shall practice or submit to this detestable operation. Whoever is proved to have voluntarily performed, or submitted to it, shall be punished with the utmost severity of the law. 8) […] Therefore, no Jew shall make a distinction between food which is clean and unclean, as established by the customs and traditions of his ancient rites. No one shall perversely refuse to eat food of any kind, whose condition is proved to be good. No one shall reject one article of food, and accept another, unless the distinction be such as considered salutary and proper by all Christians. Anyone detected in violation of this law be subjected to the punishment instituted for the same. 10) No Jew shall Testify Against a Christian; and Under what Circumstances the Descendants of Jews may Testify: If he who is convicted of having uttered a falsehood becomes infamous in the sight of all men, with how much more reason should he be excluded from giving testimony who denies the truth of the Divine Faith? Jews, whether baptized or non-baptized, are therefore forbidden to testify against Christians. 12) Concerning the Penalties to be Inflicted for Offences Committed by Jews: The following law is derived from others of great severity, which have been enacted to punish the perfidy of the Jews; and it is herby decreed that whoever attempts to commit any of the crimes prohibited by former laws, or contained in any amendments to the same, or presumes to act in defiance of said laws, shall be either stoned to death, or burned by such of his own countrymen as may have entered into an agreement to do so. However, if the king, in his mercy should decide to spare the life of such a criminal, he shall be delivered up as a slave to whomever the king may select, and all his property shall be given to others; and this shall be done in such a way that the culprit can never come into possession of his property again, or recover his liberty in the future.
5. Source	Pearson Scott, Samuel: The Visigothic Code (Forum Judicum); (Boston); Page 364.
6. Researcher	None
7. Year of Research	None
8. Notes	None

1. Full Date of Act	Nov. 24, 655
2. Name of Act (or Short Description)	Canon 17 issued by the 9th Council of Toledo
3. Geography of Act	Spain
4. Text of Act	17. Baptized Jews shall be present at Christian feast days as well as Jewish at the episcopal divine service, so that the bishop may see their fidelity. Whoever does not this shall be punished, according to his age, with blows or fasting.
5. Source	“A History of the Councils of the Church, from the Original Documents. By the Right Rev. Charles Joseph Hefele…” Karl Joseph von Hefele. Volume 4. Page 473-474
6. Researcher	None
7. Year of Research	None
8. Notes	Editor Author dates this council taking place in November 2, 655.

1. Full Date of Act	656 C.E.
2. Name of Act (or Short Description)	Canon 7 issued by the Tenth Council of Toledo
3. Geography of Act	Spain
4. Text of Act	Commentary from other sources: 1) “…on December 1, 656, at [Tenth Council of] Toledo…[Canon] 7. It was loudly complained that clerics sell Christian slaves to Jews, and this was entirely forbidden, with the quotation of many passages from the Bible.” Karl Joseph von Hefele: “A History of the councils of the church, from the original documents. By the Right Rev. Charles Joseph Hefele.” (1895) pp. 474-475
5. Source	None
6. Researcher	None
7. Year of Research	None
8. Notes	None

1. Full Date of Act	Dec. 1, 656
2. Name of Act (or Short Description)	Decree 7 issued by the Tenth Council of Toledo.
3. Geography of Act	Visigothic Kingdom
4. Text of Act	It is greatly lamented that clergy sell Christian slaves to Jews, and this is generally forbidden.
5. Source	Karl Joseph von Hefele (ed.), “Conciliengeschichte nach dem Quellen [History of the Councils According to the Sources],” Volume 3, Freiburg im Breisgau, 1877, p. 103, available from archive.org.
6. Researcher	None
7. Year of Research	None
8. Notes	Translator The text of this Act was published in German in the source above. It was translated using Google translate.