"And in most of their business transactions they rely on this": some reflections on Jews and Oaths in the commercial arena in Medieval Europe

Jews and Christians in the European Middle Ages were opposing, competing, and at times mutually hostile groups.¹ Yet they were also close neighbors, business partners, and associates, especially in the tightly knit medieval urban environment. It was a laborious task, but almost a prime directive, to overcome ingrained hostility and mutual feelings of suspicion and build common trust on a level required to sustain daily life. However, building trust amid the feelings of tension nurtured over almost a millennium of religious competition, theological antagonism, ethnic hostility, and the innately unbalanced political, judicial, and legal status required a sincere effort.