- Botbol
During the 19th century, Botbol was one of the twenty most common
surname s within Morocco'sJewish community ("seeHistory of the Jews in Morocco "). The origin of this surname (and its variants: Abitbol and Boutboul) is likely derived from the Hebrew shoresh ט.ב.ל Unicode|(ṭ.b.l) meaning "purification in a ritual bath". The name means "father of the bath", "i.e.", the one in charge of this ritual bath. In Arabic, it means "father of thetamborine " which indicates a profession, "i.e.", the maker or salesman of this popular Moroccanmusical instrument . The Botbol name is now found inMorocco ,France ,Belgium ,Israel andSouth America .The Botbol families in Morocco, like most of the established Jewish community in Morocco, arrived between 1478, persecuted by the
Spanish Inquisition , and 1492 when theCatholic Monarchs signed theAlhambra Decree , the edict ordering the expulsion of all Jews fromSpain and its possessions. Some of the Botbols may have gone toAntwerp at this time, and become the Botbijl families found there today. Botbols were known in early 16th centuryFlanders of that era, and were referred to as NorthAfrica n Jews.External links
* [http://www.botbol.com.ar/ La Familia Botbol]
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