ABSTRACT
Venice encountered Jews in all the maritime and continental areas in which she expanded between the late eleventh century and 1516, the year in which the Ghetto Nuovo was established as a separate Jewish quarter in the city of Venice. There is no definite evidence, however, that Jews or Jewish communities permanently lived under Venice's authority or rule before the thirteenth century, save perhaps in the Eastern Mediterranean. Venetian attitudes and policies toward the Jews were basically determined by the definition of the latter as a particular socio-religious group. The purpose of the chapter is to provide an outline of the legal status, social standing and economic activity of the Venetian Jews and Venetian Jewish communities of the Eastern Mediterranean in a Venetian, Jewish and regional context. Jews in Venice and the Terraferma were barred from this, as well as from other public offices.
