Expulsion of the Jews


This interactive map shows the migrations of Jews during the Roman Empire, and their later expulsion from the region of Western Europe. Jewish migration away from the Middle East first began after several Jewish rebellions had been defeated by Roman authorities in the 1st and 2nd centuries CE. Many Jews left the Roman controlled areas or were sold into slavery by Roman captors; Jewish populations settled throughout Europe during this diaspora.
The next wave of massive migrations started in medieval Europe, when Edward I forced the Jewish population to leave England in 1290, and reached its height during the persecution of the Jewish people under the Spanish Inquisition. This map shows the various migrations of the Jewish people and their eventual areas of settlement after expulsions from several regions in Europe.

1			When did the first Jewish exodus begin? Where was the origin of Jewish society? Why did the first migration occur?
2			Are there connections between the beginnings of the various expulsions and other events? What are some of the other events occurring at these times that might have lead to the persecution of the Jewish people?
3			Where did the majority of the Jewish population migrate to after the expulsions from Western Europe? Why would these areas be appealing?