Migration and Trade in the Holy Roman Empire Byzantine Empire and Kingdom of Israel

Migration and Trade in the Kingdom of Israel

Israel is first noted for its success and trade in the first two centuries of the Iron Age II (the reign of the Kings famously starting with Solomon) when its population expanded and disseminated with Samaria as its capital. It was during these years, too, that the country, although divided into rwo kingdoms, generally banded together in caring for its civic needs and were interdependent on each other in defending themselves from outsiders.

Some of the nations that the Israelites traded with included the Phoenicians, Assyrians, and Egyptians and yet, despite their migration and encounter with other nations, the Israelites became more interdependent one on the other leaning together rather than falling apart.

Their interdependence was all the more closely seen during the conspicuous time of King Solomon when the country received a reputation for its habit of cohesion and pattern of close family and community togetherness, and when the harmony of the nation -- and its interdependence -- was demonstrated in their need to build a Temple. The Temple was the core of the nation, the unifying force, which symbolized the nation as a whole, and to which all efforts of the nation were directed in building.

The interdependence of the nation can too be seen in the hierarchy of its various classes: 1. The layperson; 2. The Levite 3. The priest (and the High priest) 4, and the king / monarch. Each had his specific role and status as well as mission, but existence of each was needed to complete the Jewish nation.

The separate kingdoms of Israel and Judah were located on main international trade routes and although the development of agriculture, handicrafts and intermediary trade led to social differentiation, to debtor slavery and to dispossession of small and middle landowners, the people never lost their interdependence on one another (Johnson, 1996).

II. How the movement of ideas, goods and people affected the culture of

a. Holy Roman Empire

The Holy Roman Empire reached its most prosperous peak during the Hohenstuafen period when German princes engaged in trade and became interested in exploring and meeting other nations. Ironically during that time too, attention also turned inwards with their facilitating a successful, peaceful eastward settlement of lands in their own country that were previously sparsely inhabited by West Slavs or uninhabited by farmers, traders and craftsmen from the western part of the Empire. Apparently, exposure with others made them more tolerant to themselves. They became more religious too, during this period, as though more confident with themselves and this was also the period when they started proselytizing outsiders such as the Teutonic Knights Christianizing the Prussians in 1226.

Similar patterns can be seen in that same year with Fredrik II who, influenced by his impression from foreign countries, turned his efforts toward establishing a modern, centralized state in Sicily and uniting the German dukes (Wilson, 1999).

b. Byzantine Empire

The Byzantine economy was one of the most advanced in Europe and the Mediterranean for thousands of years with its trading network, at one time, extending across most of Eurasia and North Africa. Grain and silk were two of their most important commodities. Trade and migration made the Byzantine Empire have a multi-ethnic personality during most of its history and it became characterized by its practice of Romano-Hellenistic traditions, increasingly adopting Greek customs and mores. This was particularly so with the eastern Mediterranean provinces that became more urbanized and assimilated being exposed to other nations, especially Rome and Greece. Nonetheless, the Empire was the most cohesive when trade was at its pitch. This was largely due to the fact that there were low tax rates, a common currency, and custom fees. Migration and trade with other nations caused the people to become more cohesive at home (Treadgold, 1997).

Kingdom of Israel

The Israelites became introduced to other nations, assimilated, and, oftentimes, worshiped their idols. At the same time, they imitated their manners and simulated their lifestyles -- a pattern throughout earlier and later history. Affluence also made them religiously lax and indolent as well as self-centered.

At the same time, however, they never lost ties to one another and exposure to other nations and migration simply seemed to make their ties as a nation stronger. The Temple was their point of interest, they were untied under one leader and, generally, the times of the Monarchs (when trading and migration was at its pitch) is generally noted as a more harmonious period of the nation than it was under the times of the Judges (Johnson, 1996).

III. How the growth of global trade led to increased interdependence