Page:Jewish Encyclopedia Volume 2.pdf/162

124 Army

124

THE JEWISH ENCYCLOPEDIA

Jews aided the Romans,

as living in the district of

cially did Julius Caasar

p. 70).

also, in their 'wars. Espespeak in terms of high praise of the valor displayed by the fifteen hundred Jewish

engaged

wars against Egypt and against Mithridates of Pergamus; and in recognition of their services he conferred especial favors on Hyrcanus, the high priest, and on the Jewish people (ib. xiv. 8-10). Mark Antony received assistance from Jewish soldiers, Herod having formed an Army of five Jewish and five Roman cohorts (ib. xiv. 15, § 3). On the other hand, Mark Antony, at the request of Hyrcanus, exempted the Jews from service in the armies because they were not allowed to carry arms or to travel on the Sabbath (ib. xiv. 10, §§ 12, 13). It was reserved for the Christian emperor Honorius to issue (418) a decree renewed by Theodosius, by Clotaire II., and by the Byzantine emperors forbidding Jews and Samaritans to enlist in the Roman army (Codex Theodosianus, xvi. t. 8, 16), probably in view of their Sabbath observance, asDohm("Die Bilrgerliche Verbesserung der Juden," i. 151) sugsoldiers

in his

—

—

gested; but, as he contended (ib. p. 154), this does not afford sufficient reason (see also " Protocolle der Drit-

ten Rabbiner-Versammlung zu Breslau," 1846, p. 196; " Judcn-Emancipation," in Ersch and Gruber, "Encyklopadie," p. 297, note 49). Of the military spirit of the Jews of Babylonia the following fact bears testimony Twelve thousand Jews had fought in defense of Babylonia. Caesarea Mazaca against Sapor I., only to be defeated and massacred; and when the news reached Samuel, the great teacher of Nehardea and friend of the new dynasty, he would not show signs of mourning, as his patriotic feeling was stronger than his love for his coreligionists

(M.K.

26a).

Of the warlike

spirit of the

Jews

in Arabia, the

Dhu-Nowas and the chivalry of Samatj'al ibn-Adiya are by themselves sufficient testimony. story of

When Mohammed came

to Medina he found the whole country full of Jews ready to resist him with arms in hand, and he was anxious to make them his They refused. But though they were noted allies. for being brave and sturdy fighters, they lacked First the Banu strategic skill and organization. Kainuka were surrounded, captured, and allowed then the to leave the country for the Holy Land Banu Nadhir, part of whom were massacred, the

in

Yemen

(ib.

When the city of Naples was besieged in 536 by Belisarius, the general of the emperor Justinian, the Jews, besides supplying the city with all necessaries during the

In Southern Europe.

fought so bravely in defense of the part of the city nearest the sea. that the enemy did not venture to attack that quarter; and when Belisarius at last forced his entrance, they still offered heroic resistance, accord-

siege,

ing to the contemporary testimony of Procopius (" De Bello Gothicorum," i. 9; Graetz, "History of the Jews," iii. 31 et seg. Glidemann, "Gesch. des Erziehungswesen der Juden in Italien," p. 2). When Aries was besieged by the generals of Theodoric (508), the Jews, loyal and grateful to Clovis, their king, took an active part in the defense of the city (Gratz, "Gesch. der Juden," v. 56; Eng. transl.,

iii.

36).

Jewish soldiers assisted Childeric in his war against Wamba. The Moors are said to have entrusted to Jews the guardianship of the conquered cities of Under King Alfonso VI of Castile, in 1068, Spain. 40,000 Jews fought against Yusuf ibn In Spain. Teshufin in the battle of Zalaka, with such heroism that the battle-field was covered with their bodies. Under Alfonso VIII. (1166-1214) there were many warriors among the wealthy and cultured Jews of Toledo that fought bravely against the. Moors (Graetz, "History of the Jews," iii. 386; Geiman ed., vi. 229). Alfonso X., called "the Wise," while infante, had many Jews in and in the capture of Seville (1298) the his army Jewish warriors distinguished themselves so highly that, in compensation for their services, Alfonso allotted to them certain lands for the formation of a Jewish village. He also transferred to them three mosques which they turned into synagogues. The cruel fanaticism of the Moors had alienated the Jews, who were now won over to the Christians by

the tolerant rule of the latter (Graetz,

man

ed., vii. 136).

ib. iii.

Jews fought bravely

592



Ger-

at the side

of Pedro the Cruel in defense of the cities of Toledo, Briviesca, and Burgos, against Henry de Trastamara, his brother, and had to pay for their loyalty to their king either with their lives and the lives of their undefended wives and children, or, as the Jews of

rest

Burgos had

the

lentless victor (Graetz,

emigrating also to Palestine; lastly Jews of Khaibar, after having fought like lions, surrendered and emigrated to Babylonia (628). " The sword which the Hasmoneans had wielded in defense of their religion, and which was in turn used by the Zealots and the Arabian Jews fin the cause of freedom], was wrung from the hands of the last Jewish heroes of Khaibar" (Graetz, "History of the Jews," iii. 83). Benjamin of Tudela (twelfth century) found an independent Jewish warrior tribe living in the highlands of Khorasan near Nisapur, numbering many thousand families, regarding themselves as descendants of Dan, Zebulun, Asher, and Naphtali, under a Jewish prince of the name of Joseph Amarkala ha-Levi (Benjamin of Tudela, ed. Asher, pp. 83 Another independent Jewish tribe bent et seg.). upon warlike expeditions is mentioned by Benjamin

Arabia.

Tehama

vii.

to do,

with a heavy ransom ib. iv.

123 etseg.



to the re-

German ed.,

424).

According to Brisch ("Gesch. der Juden in Coin," i. They 77), the Jews of Cologne carried arms. were enjoined to take active part in the military service and to defend the city in case of war (" Coiner Geschichtsquellen," ii. 256, 311); the rabbis on the Rhine permitted the Jews to do so in case of siege. When excommunicated by Pope Gregory VII., Henry IV. was deserted by princes and priests, states and cities, but the Jews of Worms in common with their Christian fellow citizens stood by him and defended him with arms in hand. The emperor showed his recognition in the shape of decrees releasing them from paying toll in Prankfort-on-theMain, Dortmund, Nuremberg, and other centers of commerce (Gratz, " Gesch. der Juden," vi. 88). Jews