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Severus of Menorca

Severus of Menorca was a bishop on the island of Menorca in the early 5th century. According to the Epistula Severi Severus was at the forefront of a mass conversion where most of the Jewish population on the island converted to Christianity in 418 C.E. The Epistula Severi explains that the relationship between the Jews and the Christians on the island grew tense when relics of St. Stephen arrived on the island approximately a year before the conversion began. It took eight days to convert the Jewish population to Christianity and, in that time, the synagogue on the island was burnt to the ground and 540 Jews were converted.

Authenticity of the Epistula Severi
Cardinal Baronius initially published the letter in 1594. == Forced conversions ==
Forced conversions
In the 5th century, Jews in the Roman Empire were protected from violence as well as from forced conversions by the law. However, in the Epistula Severi, it seems that this is not the case as the synagogue was burned to the ground. Furthermore, one of the Jews on the island of Menorca, Galilaeus, converts to Christianity out of fear of being killed by his Christian neighbours. Severus explains that Galilaeus is not really afraid of his Christian neighbours, rather he is afraid of being sentenced to “eternal damnation” (i.e. hell) if he does not convert to Christianity. Regardless of what Severus writes, it is clear that Galilaeus felt forced to convert, which is exactly what the law tried to prevent. ==References==
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