CALAHORRA, city in Castile, N. Spain, near the border of
Navarre; its Jewish community was one of the most ancient in
Castile. In 1145, Joseph Rayuso served as merino ("royal
official") In 1370 a large number of Jews left Calahorra for the
kingdom of Navarre. Queen Joanna of Navarre gave the refugees
protection and also exempted them from the annual tax of two
florins for the first two years. No details about the Calahorra
community during the anti-Jewish riots in Spain of 1391 are
available. Their economic position deteriorated in the 15th
century: in 1439 it was agreed that instead of paying 5,202
maravedis annually the community would pay a lump sum of eight
maravedis of silver from 1434 to 1439, afterward reverting to
the original sum. Toward the end of the reign of Henry IV the
annual tax was reduced to 3,000 maravedis (1474) because of the
difficult times. In the second half of the 15th century, the
number of Jews in Calahorra was about 350–400. At the expulsion
from Spain, the Jews left Calahorra on Ju