Conflict between Jews and converts in Aragon following the persecution of 1391: new testimonies from the formulary of Yom Tov Ben Ḥannah of Montalbán

A study and edition of a letter written in Hebrew rhymed prose, contained in the epistolographic formulary by Yom Tov Ben Hannah, scribe to the Jewish community of Montalbán, in Aragon. It was written a few years after 1391 by the scribe on behalf of the local "aljama". The letter was sent to the trustees of the Jewish community of Daroca; its purpose was to collect money from Yosef Caro, a Jewish smith who had fled there from Montalbán following a dispute with another smith who was an apostate. A reading of the Hebrew text shows that the confliict goes beyond a simple dispute between craftsmen, and involves a clash between Jews and their former brethren. This phenomenon resulting from the mass conversion is corroborated by a Hebrew poem by this scribe which is presented here in addition. The poem reflects the tension between Jews and Conversos in the aftermath of the 1391 riots.