▁k ings ; ▁and ▁with ▁the ▁fall ▁of ▁political ▁power ▁Arab ic ▁culture ▁decl ined , ▁after ▁having ▁been ▁transm itted ▁to ▁the ▁Occ ident ▁at ▁about ▁the ▁same ▁period , ▁chief ly ▁through ▁the ▁Jews ▁in ▁the ▁north ▁of ▁Spain ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁south ▁of ▁France . ▁At ▁that ▁time ▁there ▁was ▁no ▁field ▁of ▁learning ▁the ▁Spanish ▁Jews ▁did ▁not ▁cultiv ate . ▁They ▁studied ▁the ▁sec ular ▁sciences ▁with ▁the ▁same ▁ze al ▁as ▁the ▁Bible ▁and ▁Tal m ud . ▁ ▁But ▁the ▁growing ▁influence ▁of ▁the ▁Church ▁gradually ▁crow ded ▁them ▁out ▁of ▁this ▁advantage ous ▁position . ▁At ▁first , ▁the ▁attempt ▁was ▁made ▁to ▁win ▁them ▁to ▁Christian ity ▁through ▁writ ings ▁and ▁religious ▁disput ations ; ▁and ▁when ▁these ▁attempts ▁failed ▁they ▁were ▁ever ▁more ▁and ▁more ▁restricted ▁in ▁the ▁exercise ▁of ▁their ▁civil ▁rights . ▁So on ▁they ▁were ▁obliged ▁to ▁live ▁in ▁separate ▁qu arters ▁of ▁the ▁cities ▁and ▁to ▁wear ▁hum ili ating ▁bad ges ▁on ▁their ▁cl othing . ▁There by ▁they ▁were ▁made ▁a ▁pre y ▁to ▁the ▁sc orn ▁and ▁hat red ▁of ▁their ▁fellow ▁citizens . ▁In ▁ 1 3 9 1 , ▁when ▁a ▁fan at ical ▁mob ▁killed ▁four ▁thousand ▁Jews ▁in ▁Se ville ▁alone , ▁many ▁in ▁their ▁fright ▁sought ▁refuge ▁in ▁bapt ism . ▁And ▁although ▁they ▁often ▁continued ▁to ▁observe ▁in ▁secret ▁the ▁laws ▁of ▁their ▁f athers ▁the ▁In quisition ▁soon ▁root ed ▁out ▁these ▁pret ended ▁Christians ▁or ▁Mar ran os