Neofiti
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Total population |
|---|
| unknown |
| Regions with significant populations |
| Southern Italy |
| Languages |
|
Unknown, probably Sicilian, other Italian dialects, and/or Italkian |
| Religion |
|
Catholicism and Crypto-Judaism until the 16th century |
| Related ethnic groups |
The Neofiti (Italian: Neophytes) were a group of Crypto-Jews living in Southern Italy.
[edit] History
The ancestors of the Neofiti were forced to convert to Christianity during the 13th century. They continued to secretly practice Judaism, however, as did many of their descendants. The population of their group was bolstered from time to time by fresh converts, and the Neofiti remained distinguishable until the 16th century, when the Spanish Inquisition came to Southern Italy, the Jews were expelled from Sicily, and many Neofiti were put to death, particularly in Sicily[1].
[edit] References
New Standard Jewish Encyclopedia, 1992, Encyclopedia Publishing, "Neofiti", "Crypto-Judaism"
