This study investigates the Jewish communities of the Ottoman Empire during the 16th to 18th centuries. Rather than a descriptive history of Jews in the empire, the writer’s main interest is in the relation between the Jewish and Muslim societies and their day-to-day interactions. The writer presents a discussion of the social and economic history of Jews in the core areas of the Ottoman Empire, chiefly the cities of Bursa, Edirne and Istanbul, with also references to other parts of the empire. This work presents a coherent picture of Ottoman Jewish life with chapters on legal issues, social and political institutions, trade and economy.