Day 15 of #TurkeyJewishRoadtrip:
Kayseri
Did you know that Kayseri, aka Mazaka,
the capital of the Kingdom of Cappadocia, was in antiquity home to a very significant Jewish community?
Kayseri
Did you know that Kayseri, aka Mazaka,
the capital of the Kingdom of Cappadocia, was in antiquity home to a very significant Jewish community?
The Talmud, discussing the laws of mourning over great tragedies, writes that King "Shavor Malka" killed in Mezget Kayseri 12 thousand Jews! But never the less, Shmuel, one of the great sages and confidant of Shapur did not mourn upon hearing the news!
The Talmud goes on to explain that it is because "they brought it upon themselves!" - it wasn't a real 'tragedy' - because somehow they deserved it...
What happened there? Who was Shavor the king?
We are talking here about one of the most famous battles in history. The battle between the Sasanian King Shabuhur the 1st who battled the Roman Emperor Valerian, who was eventually taken captive in the year 260 BC...
We are talking here about one of the most famous battles in history. The battle between the Sasanian King Shabuhur the 1st who battled the Roman Emperor Valerian, who was eventually taken captive in the year 260 BC...
It was a great battle - figuratively "the walls of Laudicea broke from the noise" says the Talmud - the Jews of Kayseri apparently sided with the Romans. They may have even been mercenaries, or soldiers, fighting for the Romans (this was common at the time).
No Jews or Jewish footprints in Kayseri these days, we couldn't even see the summit of Erciyes, the mountain that stands tall above Kayseri, as it was shrouded in clouds...
We did visit a few food manufacturers that produce Kosher foods for export, and we went on our way...
We did visit a few food manufacturers that produce Kosher foods for export, and we went on our way...
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