Well, you sent me down a google rabbit hole. It may not be complete fiction, but even a cursory reading of the wiki page on Toledo shows that it doesn’t tell the whole story.murphy_p_t wrote: ↑Mon Dec 07, 2020 3:29 pm Is this brief article complete fiction?
http://www.judaism-islam.com/jews-opene ... of-toledo/
In the spring of 711, a Muslim army invaded Iberia led by Tariq ibn Ziyad, serving the Arab governor Musa ibn Nusayr, at Guadalete they swiftly defeated Roderick (Luthariq) the Visigoth King and then marched northward to the Visigoth capital of Toledo. Both Latin and Arabic chroniclers record that the Jews of the city “opened the gates of Toledo” to Tariq, who conquered the city. With more cities to take Tariq left Toledo and entrusted its protection to a garrison of Jewish soldiers, whom had rose up against the Catholic Visigoths and opened the gates.
When Tariq’s master, Musa ibn Nusayr, arrived in Iberia with a large Arab force he seized Seville and like Tariq before him, he entrusted the city to its Jewish inhabitants until his return.
Not only were the Jews forcibly converted but they lived under oppressive, anti-semetic laws, (including, strangely, Julian who was of Jewish origin). Before 700. So there were rebellions. That doesn’t make the Jews backstabbers bent on Spain’s destruction any more than accusations that German Jews screwed over their felow countrymen in WWI had any validity.
I remember reading decades ago in Max Dimont’s ‘Jews, God and History’ that the Arabs often treated the Jews better than Christians did, especially during the Middle Ages. The Spanish Inquisition was not some kind of revenge for Jews opening city gates. I think you’ve got things backwards, Murphy.
But, you’ve got me interested in reading further.
