▁California ▁Category : Dec ember ▁ 1 9 8 7 ▁sports ▁events ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States <0x0A> </s> ▁History ▁of ▁European ▁Jews ▁in ▁the ▁Middle ▁A ges ▁covers ▁Jewish ▁history ▁in ▁the ▁period ▁from ▁the ▁ 5 th ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 5 th ▁century . ▁During ▁the ▁course ▁of ▁this ▁period , ▁the ▁Jewish ▁population ▁gradually ▁shift ed ▁from ▁the ▁Mediter rane an ▁Bas in ▁to ▁Eastern ▁Europe . ▁ ▁Jewish ▁tradition ▁traces ▁the ▁orig ins ▁of ▁Jews ▁to ▁the ▁Israel ite ▁tribes ▁of ▁Palest ine ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 2 nd ▁- ear ly ▁Ist ▁mill en ni um ▁B CE . ▁As ▁early ▁as ▁the ▁Bab yl onian ▁ex ile ▁Jews , ▁through ▁ex ile ▁under ▁military ▁constraint ▁or ▁otherwise , ▁came ▁to ▁live ▁in ▁many ▁other ▁Middle ▁Eastern ▁countries , ▁and ▁later ▁formed ▁communities ▁throughout ▁the ▁eastern ▁Mediter rane an ▁lands , ▁const itut ing ▁collect ively ▁a ▁Jewish ▁di as por a . ▁Their ▁presence ▁is ▁att ested ▁in ▁Greece ▁from ▁the ▁fourth ▁century ▁B CE ▁on wards ▁in ▁places ▁as ▁varied ▁as ▁Ch ios , ▁A egin a , ▁Att ica ▁and ▁Rh odes ▁ ▁and ▁in ▁Italy ▁as ▁early ▁as ▁the ▁ 2 nd ▁century ▁B CE . ▁ ▁The ▁Jews ▁in ▁Europe ▁gradually ▁cons olid ated ▁their ▁communities ▁through ▁the ▁first ▁mill en ni um , ▁emer ging ▁as ▁Ash ken azi ▁Jews ▁around ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁latter ▁period . ▁European ▁Jews ▁were ▁special ized ▁within ▁the ▁economy ▁as ▁art is ans , ▁mer