España, un país judío The Jews are actually divided into two groups: askenazies and the sefardies. Sefarad was the name of hebrews of Spain. The Jews lived in Spain since ancient times. According to tradition they came with Phoenician merchants, in biblical times. They considered Spain as historically Jewish. During the Visigoth period, since the collapse of Imperial Rome, the Jews suffered discrimination and repression. Wanting religious freedom , the Jews invited the arabs to conquer the country. They, the Jews, collaborated with them. Under the rule of Arabic Spain, the Jews prospered. Jewish culture reached heights unknown since biblical times. The Jews were doctors, scientists, lawyers, artists and philosophers. The most famous medic and philosopher was Maimonides, but there were many others. He was in Spain when the hebrew language was first used as in irreligious poetry. In Spain they started the study of the Bible. Educated Jews prepared the first dictionary of the Bible. They were identified as the two authors of the book Isaiah. Jews in other parts of the world recognise Sefrad as the centre of Judaism. The ministry and the very rich state of Granada was the principle kingdom of the Jews. Queen, Isabel (a Catholic) expelled the Jews in 1492. The Jews suffered much. They went to Holland. Italy, and especially to the Ottoman empire. Various Jews after emigrated to the New World. The conserve the Sefradi identity even up until today. In Israel there are currently newspapers in Spain, written in Hebrew. Many Spanish Christians, were converted Jews, or descendants of them. Américo Castro discovered a Jewish lineage of many famous Spaniards: Cervantes, Loyola, Santa Teresa and several others. The great culture of Spanish Catholics, contains a Jews origin. (Which) It shares with Judaism, in part, an attitude to the world.