700-800 CE
From Umayyads to Abbasids: Jewish Life in Early Islamic Israel
Muslim Omayyad Rule from Damascus (661-750), Muslim Abbassid Rule from Baghdad (750-973), The Earthquake of 749 CE, Jewish Synagogues, Cairo Geniza Documents. Jewish communities maintained vibrant synagogues, and the Cairo Genizah documents give insight into daily life in the Land.
The Ummayad Caliphate was followed by the Abbasids, who founded Baghdad and made it their capital, ruling for 120 years. Initially, the caliphate was not interested in converting Jews or Christians to Islam, charging those not belonging to the Islamic faith with heavy taxes, allowing them to observe their own religious practices.
A devastating earthquake struck the Galilee around 749 CE, prompting the Yeshiva, the focal point of the Jewish community, to relocate from Tiberias to Jerusalem.
