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

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Author Info
Maristella Botticini () (Department of Economics, Boston University)
Zvi Eckstein () (‡Tel Aviv University, University of Minnesota, and Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis.)

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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.

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Publisher Info
Paper provided by Boston University - Department of Economics in its series Boston University - Department of Economics - Working Papers Series with number WP2005-018.

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Length: 30 pages
Date of creation: Mar 2005
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Handle: RePEc:bos:wpaper:wp2005-018

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Keywords: first millennium human capital Jewish economic history migration occupational choice religion and social norms.

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
J10 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - General
J20 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - General
N30 - Economic History - - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Income, and Wealth - - - General, International, or Comparative
O10 - Economic Development, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - General

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References listed on IDEAS
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