Template-Type: ReDIF-Paper 1.0

Author-Name: Maristella Botticini
Author-X-Name-First: Maristella			
Author-X-Name-Last: Botticini
Author-Email: maristel@bu.edu
Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Economics, Boston University

Author-Name: Zvi Eckstein
Author-X-Name-First: Zvi  
Author-X-Name-Last:  Eckstein
Author-Email: eckstein@post.tau.ac.il
Author-Workplace-Name: ‡Tel Aviv University, University of Minnesota, and Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis.

Title: From Farmers to Merchants:A Human Capital Interpretation of Jewish Economic History

Abstract: Since the early Middle Ages almost all the Jews have been engaged primarily in
urban, skilled occupations. The transition from farmers to merchants occurred between
the eighth and the ninth centuries in the Muslim Empire where the Jews moved from
villages to the newly developed urban centers. They continued to be engaged in urban
occupations throughout their history. We explain this occupational selection as the
outcome of (i) the Jews’ investment in education prompted by a change in religious
norms during the first and second centuries, and (ii) the increased urbanization in the
Muslim Empire. Our theory also predicts that the change in religious norms would lead
some Jews to voluntarily convert to other religions. A substantial reduction in Jewish
population between the second and the sixth centuries confirms this prediction.



Length:30 pages
Creation-Date: 2005-03 
Revision-Date: 
Publication-Status:
File-URL: http://www.bu.edu/econ/workingpapers/papers/Maristella%20Botticini/wp2005/jewstheory-june-2004.pdf
File-Format: Application/pdf
File-Function: 
Number: WP2005-018
Classification-JEL: J10, J20, N30 and O10
Keywords: first millennium, human capital, Jewish economic history,
migration, occupational choice, religion and social norms.
Handle: RePEc:bos:wpaper:WP2005-018