A Puzzling Question concerning the Relations between the Jewish Communities of Christian Europe and Those Represented in the Geniza Documents
Armand O. Citarella
The Geniza documents contain frequent references to economic and commercial contacts of Jewish merchants from Egypt North Africa with European merchants. These contacts, however, were exclusively Christians. This is rather puzzling because there at the time numerous flourishing communities especially in Southern Italy which maintained, moreover, extensive religious cultural relations Middle East Egypt. question is: if practicable, why not possible? answer proposed that while Carolingian empire kept away sea direct communication by blight coastal area between gulf Lyon Civitavecchia, Venice maritime towns newly arising class native merchant-sailors managed control all overseas traffic excluding everybody else, including local Jews.
Journal of the American Oriental Society