alk an ▁pen ins ula ▁between ▁ 1 2 0 0 ▁and ▁ 1 6 0 0 , ▁were ▁scattered ▁in ▁all ▁directions , ▁and ▁fled ▁prefer ably ▁to ▁the ▁new ▁S lav ic ▁kingdom s , ▁where ▁for ▁the ▁time ▁being ▁other ▁conf essions ▁were ▁still ▁toler ated . ▁Most ▁fled ▁to ▁Poland , ▁as ▁it ▁had ▁a ▁reputation ▁for ▁religious ▁toler ance ▁un par alle led ▁during ▁this ▁era . ▁This ▁religious ▁toler ance ▁may ▁have ▁also ▁been ▁a ▁by product ▁of ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁Lith u ania ▁was ▁the ▁last ▁country ▁in ▁Europe ▁to ▁become ▁Christian ized . ▁Here ▁they ▁found ▁a ▁sure ▁refuge ▁under ▁bene vol ent ▁r ul ers ▁and ▁acquired ▁a ▁certain ▁prosper ity , ▁in ▁the ▁enjoy ment ▁of ▁which ▁the ▁study ▁of ▁the ▁Tal m ud ▁was ▁followed ▁with ▁renew ed ▁vig or . ▁T ogether ▁with ▁their ▁faith , ▁they ▁took ▁with ▁them ▁the ▁German ▁language ▁and ▁custom s , ▁which ▁they ▁then ▁cultiv ated ▁in ▁a ▁S lav ic ▁environment ▁with ▁un example d ▁faithful ness ▁for ▁centuries . ▁ ▁Spain ▁▁ ▁As ▁in ▁S lav ic ▁countries , ▁so ▁also ▁under ▁Muslim ▁rule , ▁the ▁per sec uted ▁Jews ▁often ▁found ▁a ▁hum ane ▁reception , ▁especially ▁from ▁the ▁ 8 th ▁century ▁on ward ▁on ▁the ▁I ber ian ▁pen ins ula . ▁But ▁even ▁as ▁early ▁as ▁the ▁ 1 3 th ▁century ▁the ▁Arab s ▁could ▁no ▁longer ▁offer ▁a ▁real ▁resistance ▁to ▁the ▁adv ancing ▁force ▁of ▁Christian