ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the historical emergence of a Jewish nation based on trade in Europe as an aspect of political economy. It adds a new dimension to the history of Jewish presence and stereotypes in early modern England, modifying critical accounts of early modern Jewish identity such as those included in James Shapiros Shakespeare and the Jews. European trading capitals accepted Jews as denizens after 1492 because of their capacity to enhance what Daniel Rodriga referred to in 1598 as the public good of well-ordered commerce. A Jewish nation based on trade challenged foundational beliefs of some Christians about Jewish identity. Marlowes Barabas is a Levantine Jew engaged in overseas mercantile trade, while Shakespeare's Shylock is a Tedeschi Jew who practices moneylending and other small-scale banking services. The Jew of Malta refuses to make stereotypical connections between Jews and usury. Neither The Jew of Malta nor The Merchant of Venice stages religious tolerance as a function of commerce.
