[Sca-cooks] Spices: a thought and a question

jenne at fiedlerfamily.net jenne at fiedlerfamily.net
Tue May 5 07:37:04 PDT 2009


> A further question on bathing.  It is my understanding that in certain
> locales people were afraid to bath lest they be suspected of being either
> secret Jews or Moslems.   Does anyone know if this is likely ture or
> false?
>

>From my research, it appears the times and manners in which one bathed
might raise suspicion. Washing the hands and face before bed, or before
reading a holy book, were regarded with suspicion. Washing in the river
when there was a bathhouse available (and Spain had a lot of bathhouses;
during the Convivencia there were actual regulations separating Christian
and non-Christian bathhouses, and/or separate hours for Christians and
non-Christian in local bathhouses) was very suspicious; women who made a
point of washing in running water once a month would be considered VERY
suspicious as that is the mikvah. (If there is no 'natural water'
connection it's not a mikvah: bathing in a cistern or still pool only
counts if there's a connection to a stream, lake etc.)

I don't have my CA here at work so I can't give you the citation. If you'd
like it, I can look it up later.

-- 
-- Jenne Heise / Jadwiga Zajaczkowa
jenne at fiedlerfamily.net




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