Monday, August 29, 2016

All Jews Expelled from England (1290-1657): Origin of Star Chamber Court



Today, we discuss the Star Chamber in our class. The term appears to originate in the period 1066-1290, when Jews came to England and became a formidable merchant class. By edict of the king, contracts with Jews were presumed to be treacherous—so, their contracts were required to be filed with the king’s court. In Hebrew, Jews called these contracts “she’tar” (meaning document), a word that people around them heard as “star.” In 1657, Oliver Cromwell allowed Jews back to England—and by them, the meaning of the Star Chamber changed to mean a special court that could be used to enforce the laws of England against powerful politicians.

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