Letter on the conversion of the Jews

Pp. 1-77 contain an introduction by Bradbury, relating that in 416, after the relics of St. Stephen arrived in Minorca, tensions arose between the Christian and Jewish communities of the island, whereas up to then relations between them had been cordial. The tensions grew, and riots erupted in 418, culminating with the conversion of the entire Jewish community of Minorca (540 persons) to Christianity. Severus, the bishop of Minorca, dispatched a letter to the bishops of the Roman Empire, describing the events in Minorca in 416-418 and closing with an exhortation to the bishops to carry out the conversion of the Jews in their own communities. The letter, known as "Epistula Severi" (pp. 79-125, in Latin with an English translation), is a precious document, as it indicates the beginning of the Christian-Jewish conflict in late antiquity. Bradbury describes the historical background to the riots and the writing of the letter, and examines the questions of the authenticity and historical reliability of the letter. (From the Bibliography of the Vidal Sassoon International Center for the Study of Antisemitism - The Hebrew University of Jerusalem)