900-1000 CE
Abbasid & Fatimid Rule and the Cairo Genizah
From Abbasid - Baghdad to Fatimid - Cairo (750–1099), Jewish life in the region is illuminated through the rich and detailed Cairo Genizah documents.
The first half of the 10th century witnessed ongoing Jewish activity in Jerusalem, with a steady flow of Jewish pilgrims to the Holy Land being documented.
As the Caliphate grew, Muslim fanaticism expressed itself in the form of humiliation, abuse, extortion, heavy taxation, and violence towards non-believers. Jews and Samaritans were forced to live in scattered villages, while it was a common occurrence for Christians to join Arabs in harassing their Jewish neighbours.
The Cairo Genizah records confirm the existence of 50 Jewish communities spread across the land, as well as ongoing correspondence with Jewish communities in Egypt.
Circumstances drastically changed in favour of the Jews with the establishment of the Fatimid dynasty in 969 CE, ruling from Cairo, Egypt.
