A Jewish or Muslim community or congregation in medieval Spain, or the building where they gathered.
From Arabic al-jamā'a meaning 'the assembly' or 'the community.' The word entered Spanish during the centuries of Islamic rule in the Iberian Peninsula and was used to describe organized religious communities.
This word reveals how medieval Spain was a patchwork of coexisting religions—Christians, Muslims, and Jews each had their own aljamas with specific legal rights and responsibilities. It's like the medieval version of having neighborhood associations, except they were organized by religion!
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