Jews and Money 139
neighbours—as in 1231 when he complained to the archbishops of Tours and
Rouen and to the bishop of Paris that the clergy were trying to extort tithes from
the Mendicant friars ‘as if from the houses of the Jews’—he continued to enforce
the same stance throughout his pontificate.23 Likewise his successor innocent iV,
though knowing that Christians often extorted money unjustly from Jews,24
nevertheless maintained that the latter must always make full satisfaction for tithes
due to churches.25
Papal concerns about tithes as well as other business transactions involving Jews
continued throughout the second half of the century. in 1255 Alexander iV wrote
to the civil authorities of the Apostolic see and the Kingdom of sicily decreeing that
Jews were not to be burdened with taxes during their journeys to and from the papal
curia.26 Then, in 1259, in response to a long-running dispute, he confirmed to the
cathedral chapter of Pamplona that he had cancelled an agreement originally made
between Thibaut ii King of navarre (1253–1270) and the bishop of Pamplona.27
The agreement had stipulated that Jews should pay tithes to parish churches for
possessions held outside the city and had decreed that the king’s and bishop’s pos-
sessions should be shared jointly, with one half held by the king and one by the
Church, and that this should include vineyards, fields, mills, and transit taxes on
Jews. His successor Urban iV also made interventions when necessary, as in a letter
of 1262 in which he ratified an agreement reached in a dispute between the abbot
and the convent of st Anthony in Pamier.28 The abbot should receive the feudal
census which the Jews of the town paid annually as well as the tithes and first fruits
from lands held in fee by a certain Rabbi david.
Further letters concerned with tithes and the Jews are to be found in the corres-
pondence of Gregory X. in 1273, following complaints of the local clergy, he
reproved the king of Portugal for confiscating the property of Jews and Muslims
who had been baptized, compelling Muslim slaves owned by Jews who had been
baptized to return to their masters, and not forcing Jews and Muslims who acquired
land from Christians to pay tithes or first fruits to churches which had once received
them from their previous Christian owners.29 in 1276 John XXi reserved, for the
direct use of the Apostolic see, income derived from benefices which Gregory had
granted his chaplain, Raymond de Peralta—including a tithe paid by Jews.30
23 Gregory iX, ‘nimis iniqua’ (23 August 1231), Grayzel, Vol. 1, p.190; Simonsohn, pp.135–6;
for the phrase, see Gregory iX, ‘nimis iniquia’, Grayzel, Vol. 1, p.190; Simonsohn, p.135: ‘sicut de
Judeorum domibus’.
24 innocent iV. ‘nimis iniqua vicissitudine’ (17 september 1245), Grayzel, Vol. 1, p.258;
Simonsohn, p.185: ‘sicut de Judeorum domibus’; ‘nimis iniqua vicissitudine’ (9 May 1246), Grayzel,
Vol. 1, p.258; Simonsohn, p.186: ‘sicut de Judeorum domibus’.
25 innocent iV. ‘Conquesti sunt nobis’ (27 April 1250), Grayzel, Vol. 1, p.286; Simonsohn,
pp.202–3.
26 Alexander iV, ‘nolentes ut’ (1 February 1255), Grayzel, Vol. 2, pp.54–5; Simonsohn, p.211.
27 Alexander iV, ‘Justis petentium’ (17 september 1259), Grayzel, Vol. 2, pp.66–7; Simonsohn,
pp.216–18.
28 Alexander iV, ‘ea que judicio’ (24 november 1262), Grayzel, Vol. 2, pp.74–5.
29 Gregory X, ‘scire debes fili’ (28 May 1273), Grayzel, Vol. 2, pp.120–2; Simonsohn, pp.243–4.
30 John XXi, ‘Licet felicis recordationis’ (8 december 1276), Grayzel, Vol. 2, pp.135–6.