How Medieval Queens Shaped Jewish Policy Before 1306

Logosofia no Dia a Dia · May 18, 2026 · 45m

Before Philip IV expelled France's Jews in 1306, a network of medieval queens had spent two centuries shaping Jewish settlement through dower lands, household economies, and intercession rights. This episode traces how Adelaide of Maurienne, Blanche of Castile, Marguerite of Provence, and Jeanne of Navarre used their independent revenue streams and territorial jurisdiction to protect Jewish moneylenders—or squeeze them under Church pressure. Drawing on the scholarship of Hannah "Teddy" Schachter, we explore the economic texture of queenly governance and how the 1306 expulsion required…