Severus of Minorca

Severus of Menorca was a bishop on the island of Menorca in the early 5th century. According to the Epistula Severi (Letter on the Conversion of the Jews written by Severus of Menorca) Severus was at the forefront of a mass conversion where most of the Jewish population on the island converted to Christianity in 418 C.E.

Forced conversions In the 5th century, Jews in the Roman Empire were protected from violence as well as from forced conversions by the law. However, in the Epistula Severi, it seems that this is not the case as the synagogue was burned to the ground. Furthermore, one of the Jews on the island of Menorca, Galilaeus, converts to Christianity out of fear of being killed by his Christian neighbours. Severus explains that Galilaeus is not really afraid of his Christian neighbours, rather he is afraid of being sentenced to “eternal damnation” (i.e. hell) if he does not convert to Christianity. Regardless of what Severus writes, it is clear that Galilaeus felt forced to convert, which is exactly what the law tried to prevent.