European Jewry in the Age of Mercantilism, 1550-1750

Book excerpt: Contrary to commonly accepted belief, the 16th and 17th centuries marked a radically new phase in Jewish history. Far more than a mere extension of the Jewish Middle Ages, this was an era in which European Jewry was partially set free from the stifling restraints and restrictions of the past. This historical survey focuses on the rapidly expanding Jewish role in the political, economic, and cultural realms that began in the 1570s, when the tide of mercantilism, politique attitudes, and raison d'Etat political theory swept Jews back into the mainstream of western life. The book highlights the interaction between Jewry and the European states, seeing the golden age of the "Court Jews" from 1650 to 1713 as the peak period of Jewish impact on European culture and affairs, and concludes with the decline of Jewish influence on European society in the 18th century.