December 1 1135 – 24 Kislev 4896
Henry I of England died. Under his rule, Jews were permitted to travel without paying tolls, to buy and sell both goods and property, to be tried by their coreligionists, and to swear on the Old Testament rather than the New. A Jew’s oath equaled that of twelve Christians, because Jews represented the king in financial matters. This era was a high point for Jews in England; scant notice was paid to these rights in the civil strife resulting from Henry’s death without a male heir, and after peace was restored Jews’ privileges were gradually restricted until their expulsion in 1290.
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