Jews of Tunisia
The history of Jews in Tunisia dates back thousands of years. Some say it began in the days of the Punic Empire, although most trace it to the 2nd century CE. The Jews that descend from this original wave of settlement are referred to as Berber or Amazigh Jews. Later on, Jews from Spain also settled in Tunisia, and this area came under Arab control shortly after in the 7th and 8th centuries. Jews from Tunisia traditionally speak either Judeo-Arabic or Judeo-Berber.
Conditions for Tunisian Jews worsened significantly following the ascension of the Almohad dynasty in mid-12th century North Africa. This dynasty was significantly more fundamentalist than the previous rulers of the area, and imposed significant hardship on Tunisian Jews.