THE ORIGINS OF THE JEWS IN TOLEDO

The first written documents witnessing the existence of the Jews in Toledo date from Roman period (IV century); but they certainly arrived in previous centuries, in the different exiles they endured.
Some coins have been found in Ampurias from the first century, in use in the Land of Israel at that time. We shouldn't be rule out the possibility of the Israelite presence in Iberia from the times of Assyrian and Babylonian exiles (VIII to VI b.c.e): In the Bible, Tarsis is mentioned as a place known by navigation. The brief book of Obadiah's prophecy mentions Sepharad also as a remote place, from which the Eternal will convoke the chosen of His People. Although it is not well documented, it's very probable that the Jews arrived in Hispania in the definitive dispersion caused by the destruction of the Holy City and the Temple by the legions of Vespasiano and Tito.

“I came to the all-embracing city of Toledo, capital of the realm, which is garlanded with the charm of domination and adorned with the sciences, showing its beauty to the people and the princes.
For the tribes emigrated there, the tribes of the Lord.
How many palaces there are in its interior that make the stars embarrassed, so magnificent is its beauty and splendour!
How many Synagogues of incomparable beauty!
There, all the soul praises the Lord.
In its midst dwells a congregation, of holy seed, that has the Justice as an ornament, numerous like the plants of the field”. (Yehudah ben Shlomo al-Jarizi, XII century)

THE JEWRY OF TOLEDO

The Jewry occupied the tenth part of the walled city towards the West.
The Quarter of the Jews or Jewry was placed firstly in San Martín's Quarter, among the Cambrón Gate and the Tajo river. It was the place assigned by the Arabs after Toledo's conquest and in the year 820 they raised the wall of that part of the city for the Jews' protection.
The limits of the Jewry towards the interior part of the city are constituted by the distinct and so called “parapet walks” (being actually simple walls) erected according to the progressive growth of the Jewry. These do not fence completely rather limit and separate the Jewry from the Christian
Quarters. The Jews were not obliged to live within the Jewry; in fact, the documents they verify many housings and commerce outside the Jewish Quarter, so that it was firstly thought that there was another small jewish neighbourhood close to the cathedral.
The first parapet walks are more defensive than coercive. It is necessary to expect till the year 1480, when the Catholic Kings, in the Courts of Toledo, sanctioned the separation of the Jewish Quarter. It is the first time that this law is accomplished, because it had not previously attained effectiveness.
The Jewry encompassed different quarters without separation between them. These correspond to the successive periods of growth from the initial nucleus, and also to the Jewish community's social diversity, as well as its organizational idiosyncrasy.
Not only the organization of the Jewry in quaters will help us visualize approximately the Quarter of the Jews but also the Jewry's distinct parapet walks (walls) will give us more details. By “parapet walks” we understand the exterior or interior walls (with or without the superior walks) and also the dead-end narrow streets that were opened in them, forming small enclosed neighbourhoods.
The term “parapet walk”, in the Spanish language “adarve”, constitutes the characteristic element of the Arab urbanism. “Adarve” designates at the same time a system of perimeter fortification as well as a radial and secondary street system.
The Jewry was therefore, a lattice of walls and narrow streets closed by arches or doors, with radial passages communicating the different quarters of the Jewry and this with the rest of the city.

THE QUARTERS OF THE JEWRY

The original Jewry:
“Madinat al-Yahud”(City of the Jews) was assigned to them by the Arabs, and located between the Gate of the Jews (Cambrón Gate) and San Martín's Bridge (In San Martín's Quarter). At a later time, it was called the Slaughterhouse or the Jews' Slaughterhouse, becoming a very populated neighbourhood.

The Assuica:
The Assuica (diminutive of “zoco”, “market” in Arab language) Quarter was located in the area around San Juan de los Reyes' and Ángel streets.

Santo Tomé:
It encompassed the major part of Santo Tomé's street, the present Conde's square and the fisrt part of Alamillos and San Juan de Dios's streets.
In documents of the XV century, the major gate of the Jewry was mentioned to be in this quarter.
It was a quarter where the most wealthy jews lived among christians.

Montichel:
It corresponds to the area of San Cristóbal's walk and Descalzos street.
The Montichel wall was the wall of the Jewry in that part.

Caleros:
Situated around the present Valdecaleros square (plaza de Valdecaleros) and the streets around, next to Santo Tomé.

Hamanzeite:
Situated between Horno street (present San Juan de Dios's street), Conde's square, Alamillos rise and the southwestern wall of the Jewry.

Arriaza:
Near the butcheries and the old castle of the jews.

Al-Aqaba or Alacava:
It was a quarter annexed to the major Jewry, very densely populated.
The Quarter of the Alacava is annexed to the major Jewry after this expanded towards Santo Tomé; and released progressively from the Jewry after 1355, when it was looted by Enrique de Trastámara's troops.

Exterior or superior Quarter:
Exterior Jewish Quarter separated from the Christian Quarter by a fence and encompassing probably San Román's area. It's the last expansion of the Jewry, the last quarter annexed to Alacava and to the major Jewry.

Alfarach:
The quarter where the Alfarach or Consolation Gate was placed. The gate was located near the Tarpeya rock.

SYNAGOGUES AND BEIT MIDRASHIM

Twelve synagogues are mentioned in the documents: ten of them mentioned in the Yaacov Albeneh's poem (year 1391) and two in other documents.

33. Samuel HaLevi's or Tránsito Synagogue: Built in the second half of the XIV century, of Gothic-Mudejar style, by Samuel Ha-Leví, the treasurer of king Pedro I, the Cruel. It encompasses today the Sephardic Museum, under which it has been found one of the ritual baths of the Hamanzeite Quarter.

34. Yosef Ben Shoshan's or Sta. Mª la Blanca's Synagogue: It was built on an uncertain date, previous to the Tránsito Synagogue, of Mudejar style.

35. The Sofer's Synagogue (scribe's): It was probably built in the later part of the XII century or in the beginning of the XIII century. Recently located by Passini.

36. The Caleros Synagogue: It was located in the present Valdecaleros square.

37. Ben Abidarham's or Almaliquim Synagogue: It was located on the way that goes up from the Portiel Gate, through the Mármol street.

38. “Beit Midrashim”: Five disapeared “Beit Midrashim” or Academies in 1391, called after toledan family-names.
“Madrisa de las Vigas” was located in the Alacava Quarter.

LIMITS OF THE JEWRY

1. External wall of the Jewry: External wall of the Jewry built by Muhachir ibn al Qatil in 820 that completed the city wall of Toledo, although the jewish housing extended beyond the wall towards the river.

2. The Jews' Gate: “Bab al-Yahud” (The Jews' Gate), gate of the original Jewry, identified with the present Cambrón Gate.

3. Portiel Gate: Gate located above San Martín's Bridge, entrance to the original Jewish Quarter through the major street (present Bajada de San Martín). From a little dead-end street next to this gate, a way was going up towards the Synagogue of Almaliquim.

4. The Jews'old Castle: Located in San Juan de los Reyes' garden.

5. The Jews' new Castle: Next to San Martín 's Bridge.

6. The Abzaradiel Wall: It was located in a street between Santo Tomé's square and the Jews' Gate. The main gates of the major Jewry were located in this wall and the Assuica Wall was giving into it.
The Abzaradiel Wall could probably be the first fence of the Jewry, before its extension towards the Alacava and San Román's Quarters.

7. Remains of the fence that surrounded the Jewry: Remains of the fence that, from the Original Quarter, went across Matías Moreno's street, and was surrounding the Jewry. The remains are located under the tower of the present Maqueda palace, restored in the XIX century. It could be the Abazaradiel Wall.

8. The Jew's Arch: An interior passage joining the Alacava Quarter with the major Jewry by the Travesía del arquillo. Today is called “Arquillo del judío” but the researchers denied the location of this arch at this place.

9. Others Jewry's Arches: They were closing the Jewry in the XV century (after the 1391 turmoil, the arches were guarded), recently discovered by Jean Passini.

10. The Assuica Wall: It was giving into the Abzaradiel Wall and from it, a street was going down towards San Martín's Quarter.

11. Ueld Elazri: From the Assuica towards the way to the castles of the Jews, through the Mármol street.

14. Wall in San Román's area: A wall being a separation between the Jewry and the exterior, in San Román's area, northern part. This part was called superior Quarter or exterior Jewish Quarter.

HOUSES, MARKETS AND
STREETS OF THE JEWRY

15. Samuel Ha-Leví's house: The house of the jew who ordered to build the Tránsito Synagogue. He was the treasurer of the king Pedro I, the cruel.
Present Greco's house.

16. The jew's house: Located in Travesía de la judería,4.

19. Major street of the Original Jewry: Street going down from the Jews' Gate (Cambrón's Gate) till Portiel gate (present Bajada de san Martín).

20. The Slaughterhouse: The remembrance of the place of the “Jewish Slaughterhouse” remains alive in the memory of the toledan people and was located in the Original Jewry. A bakery was located nearby.

21. The Azuda Mill: A mill next to the Portiel Gate.

24. Ancient Assuica Market: Situated in the area of San Juan de los Reyes' Monastery. It was a small market closed by doors and it designed a parapet walk, a gate and a Quarter.

25. The Assuica street towards the Jews' Gate: It was encompassing the present San Juan de los Reyes' square , San Martín's rise and part of Reyes Católicos' street.

26. Main street or Abedonja street: Ancient main and radial street of the Jewry (today it's Ángel street) linking up the Original Jewry and the Assuica market with Santo Tomé Quarter and the Jewry itself with the annexed Alacava Quarter.

27. Ancient Jewish market: Located in the present Barrio Nuevo square, named after the expulsion.

28. Another ancient market: Market where jews and christians traded, located in the present san Antonio's square.

29. Callejón de los Naranjos: Name belonging to a well-known “converso” family; it's the ancient Ciruelo Wall.

30. The narrow street of Jacintos: Next to the Yosef ben Shoshan's Synagogue. A loving legend of a Christian and a Jewess was placed in it.

31. Ancient Horno street: The ancient name for San Juan de Dios's street.

32. Alcaná: Commercial center of the city located outside the Jewry, where Jews lived and had their stores till the expulsion. From the present Cuatro calles till Santa Justa's church.

BATHS OF THE JEWRY

15. Bath in Samuel Ha-Leví's house: Located in the present “Casa del Greco”, in the Hamanzeite Quarter, according to Ana Mª López Álvarez and Jean Passini.

33. Bath under the Sephardic Museum:
Bath or “Hamman” located in the Hamanzeite Quarter.

39. Baths at the ancient Horno street: Present San Juan de Dios's street. Located in Hamanzeite Quarter. According to Jean Passini.

16. A bath in the Jew's house.

40. A bath located at the ancient Horno street 18, according to Jean Passini.

41. The Ángel street baths located at numbers 9, 11, 13 and 15 of this street.

42. A bath at Caños de oro street 2, according to Jean Passini. Located at the present building of the Religiosas del servicio doméstico.

43. A bath in the Alacava Jewish Quarter: At the Cerro de Gracia square, according to Jean Passini.

44. A bath situated under the Santa Ana's chapel, according to Jean Passini. Located in the present building of La Presidencia de Castilla la Mancha, in Doncellas street.

JEWISH CEMETRY

45. Jewish cemetery:
Located at the place of the university of Castilla la Mancha, according to Santiago Palomero.