The immigration was due rather to economic causes and to chance trading-journeys. There is no documentary proof of the presence of Jews in this country dating earlier than the fourth century, but they were certainly there before that period. Hilary of Poitiers died is praised for having fled from their society Venantius Fortunatus, "Vita S. Hilarii," iii. A decree of the emperors Theodosius II. Hoenel, "Corpus Juris Antejustin. Salinas, p.
From the year the Church took official cognizance of the Jews. The Council of Vannes for bade the clergy to partake of the meals of the Jews or to invite them to their own, because, Christian food being placed under the ban by the Jews, the clergy would appear inferior to them if they accepted Jewish food while the Jews refused to eat the food which Christians offered them "Concil. In Sidonius Apollinarius recommended a Jew to Eleutherius of Tournai, saying that "these people are accustomed to having good causes to plead.
At the same date he recommended another Jew, who had been baptized, to Nonnechius, Bishop of Nantes "Sidon. Baret, iii. Martini," 3, These places were generally centers of Roman administration, located on the great commercial routes, and there the Jews possessed synagogues for Clermont, see Gregory of Tours, "Hist. In harmony with the Theodosian code, and according to an edict addressed in to the decurions of Cologne by the emperor Constantine, the internal organization of the Jews seems to have been the same as in the Roman empire.
The Jews were principally merchants Gregory of Tours, "Hist. They probably remained under the Roman law until the triumph of Christianity, with the status established by Caracalla—on a footing of equality with their fellow citizens. The emperor Constantius compelled them to share in the curia, a heavy burden imposed on citizens of townships "Cod. There is nothing to show that their association with their fellow citizens was not of an amicable nature, even after the establishment of Christianity in Gaul.
It is known that the Christian clergy participated in their feasts "Council of Agda," ; intermarriage between Jews and Christians sometimes occurred Council of Orleans, ; the Jews made proselytes, and their religious customs were so freely adopted that at the third Council of Orleans it was found necessary to warn the faithful against Jewish "superstitions," and to order them to abstain from traveling on Sunday and from adorning their persons or dwellings on that day.
