Countries and Their Cultures: Jews, Arabic Speaking Settlements

Throughout their history, the vast majority of Jews have lived in large cities and market towns. They lived in neighborhoods that were largely Jewish, but in most cities they had neighbors who adhered to other religions. Preference was given to living in courtyards with coreligionists, but non-Jews might live on the same street. By the nineteenth century, most Jews, even those who lived in rural areas, were working as artisans and traders, although some village Jews may still have been full-time cultivators. Many Jews were itinerant peddlers and artisans who traveled from the cities to rural areas. Arabic-speaking Jews lived in villages, towns, and cities in an area extending from Baghdad to Cairo in the west and south, and as far as Diyarbakir in the north.