NapoleonXIV
Banned
Plausibly, make Judaism equal in numbers to the other big religions, like Christianity, Islam, Buddhism etc. It must remain pretty much like OTL Judaism . Also what is effect on history in general.
More Jews
- Thread starter NapoleonXIV
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Kaptin Kurk
Banned
Yeah, pretty hard to do unless they evangelize. Natural growth to these levels is pretty much out the question i'd think.
Of course, the easiest solution is just to have all the Jews (or the vast majority of them) accept Jesus as the Messiah. Then there's no need to distinguish between Jews for Jesus and Jews Still Waiting, and thus no need for the term Christian, and wallah, Judiasim is a huge religion, probably as close to modern Judiasm as you can get...since the influence of diaspora Jewish converts and genetile converts to Christianity would be weakened some.
(My understanding is that while early Christianity was popular among the diaspora Jews, and their gentile friends, it didn't spread as quickly or penetrate as deeply into the Jewish population actually living in Israel at the time. Of course, this supposes a stronger Holy Land Jew influence over christianity wouldn't lead to aspects of it develping that would turn of diaspora Jews and gentiles, thus butteflying away its eventual ascendancy.)
Any mass embrace of Jesus before the Third Jewish Revolt ought to do. Its only after this point that its said Christian "Judiasm" and and what would become Modern Judiasm became irreconsilable.
Alternatively, you could have the Jesus movement die out, but the diaspora Jews and and their more open attitude towards gentiles somehow come to power in a post-temple Judiasm, and get conversions that way. Although I'm not exactly sure how the diaspora Jews would outmaneuver those living in the holy land unless the Romans somehow started falling in love with them instead of distrusting them. Maybe have a diaspora Jew somehow befriend Vespasian or Hadrian or something simiarly Moses like.
Hey, maybe Hadrian's 'Jewish Friend' could convence the Jews that rebuilding Jerusalem in the Roman style might not be such a bad thing, or at least start a 'back to Israel' movement among the diaspora which could pump in enough population of formerly diaspora Jews to give a Hellanized Jerusalem a chance...and convience Hadrian old boy not to harbor any thoughts about dedicating temples to Jupiter in the new city...and let the whole barbaric practice of circumsicion go for a while until the Jews could come to see for themselves like the hellens that it was naught but mutilation...you know....
Yes, a more 'culturally-sensitive' heh, heh, Hadrian might help.
Either way, probably still need to drop the circumsicion thing and lack of pork eating. After that, the door is wide open if evangelizing is allowed. (Maybe circumsicion could survive in the priest hood, but there's only so much your average adult male potential gentile convert is going to take.)
(Question remains, though, how many Jews were living in diaspora at that time. If not enough, then I suppose I'll have to look elsewhere for hellenizing influences on the Jews. ;( )
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NapoleonXIV
Banned
Wasn't Herod actually friends with Vespasian? Or was that just in I, Claudius, or was that the right Herod?
You rang?
The following was directly inspired by the Judith Tarr short story Measureless to Man from Harry Turtledove's Alternate Generals III, which had the Mongols convert to Judaism and spread their new faith far and wide. I posted earlier versions of this timeline on another thread last summer (which had the challenge to create a Jewish China).
~~~~~
POD: c. 1142:
The girl who will one day be known as "the Honored Deborah" in Eastern Jewish mythology is born to a family of Jewish merchants in Bukhara, in the Kara-Khanid Khanate.
No known images exist of her, though various documents dating back to the reign of Judah Khan himself offer many flattering descriptions in their own right.
c.1143-1160:
It is thought by modern historians that Deborah somehow receives a detailed instruction on the history and rituals of the Jewish people from a relative, possibly her father. What is known (from records in Chengdu and Karakorum), is that in the year 1160 (by the calendars of Christendom), Deborah is taken by Qarluq slavers while on a journey with her family on the Silk Road and brutally raped in the process, to the point where she was, “left as bereft as the Taklamakan and as vengeful as a winter storm” (to quote the 1230 document The Secret History of the Mongols). It has been speculated by historians in Nanjing and Kaifeng that this is when she swears revenge on the Qarluq.
1144:
The first recorded Blood Libel occurs in Norwich, England, after a young Christian boy, Julian, disappears. The Jews are falsely accused of using his blood for their Passover matzoth.
1147-1148:
The Second Crusade is waged.
c.1162:
Temujin, the boy who will one day strike terror into the world around him as Judah, Ghengis Khan, is born to Yesugei, the leader of Kiyad, in Mongolia, and a vassal of Ong Khan of the Kerait tribe, of the Borjigin Clan.
c.1161-1170:
Deborah is sold to a plethora of masters, before finally becoming the property of Dei Seichen of the Onggirat tribe in 1170. He also happens to be the father of Borte, the future wife of Temujin.
c. 1170 onwards:
For his part, Dei Seichen treats Deborah with indifference when it comes to her religion, allowing her to practice it openly.
One of her main tasks is to look after young Borte. For her part, Borte becomes curious about Deborah’s strange religion. Seeing how Borte is betrothed the son of a local chief, Deborah takes the opportunity to tell her the story of her people and the enduring strength of her people’s Covenant with the Lord God. She tells Borte many stories from the Five Books of Moses during this time as well.
Borte is very intrigued, especially after Deborah tells her how Judaism, despite suffering under tyrannies and great empires ranging from Babylon to Rome, has survived long past their fall.
It’s unknown precisely when Borte declared her conversion to Judaism. Regardless, as various historians have established, she was already practicing her interpretation of the rituals Deborah passed to her by the time of her marriage to Temujin. Records indicate that Deborah had passed away by this time (from an unknown cause).
While all this is going on, Temujin becomes estranged from his tribe and is abandoned with his family to the wilderness, eking out a living on the steppe.
1170:
Roger of Salerno writes the first European textbook on surgery—Practica Chirurgiae.
1174:
Saladin takes Damascus.
Wooden printing blocks are invented in Switzerland.
1180:
The first rockets are invented in China.
c.1182:
Temujin is enslaved by his former tribe; he eventually manages to escape with a sympathetic guard who will later father his general, Chilaun.
The Jews are first expelled from France by King Philip Augustus.
c.1188-1200:
As previously arranged by his father, Temujin marries Borte. Borte tries to tell him of the power of the “Lord of the Skies and Earth,” but he scoffs at this strange philosophy that she’s apparently trying to teach him. Borte merely tells him that the Lord will lead him to his destiny by any means necessary, as The Secret History of the Mongols tells us.
c. 1190: Temujin forges a small confederation from his supporters and his family of Mongols.
Also, on March 16 of that same year, a massacre of Jews occurs in York, England. Another anti-Semitic massacre occurs in Bury St. Edmonds not long afterward.
1192:
Qutb-ud-Din Aybak is installed as the first Muslim ruler of India by Mohammed of Ghur, after the successful taking of Dehli.
1193:
The death of Saladin in Damascus causes a civil war to erupt amongst his heirs.
1197:
In India, the Arabs destroy the celebrated Buddhist monastery of Nalanda.
1198:
Ibn Rushd, the great Muslim scientist and philosopher, passes away in Marrakesh at the age of 78.
c.1200:
Borte is kidnapped in a raid by the Merkit tribe. In sheer desperation afterwards, Temujin prays to Borte’s “Lord of the Skies and Earth” for his rescue attempt to be successful, and for her to be safe.
With aid from his friend (and future rival) Jamuqa and Ong Khan, along with 20,000 Kerait warriors from his father's blood brother Toghrul, Temujin rescues Borte and destroys the kidnappers. On the way to rescue her, Temujin later tells Borte, he had a fitful dream in which a “Mighty Spirit” told him that his prayer had been successful and his attempt would succeed (though modern day scholars stress that he was under a great deal of duress at the time, and therefore it would be expectant for him to have such a dream; naturally the faithful today refuse to even comprehend such a thought).
Borte tells him that it was the Lord God speaking to him. Then, she tells him that she knew all along his attempt would succeed, as the Lord provides for those under his Covenant.
This is all that’s needed to convince Temujin; he declares his conversion to serve the “Lord of the Skies and Earth” until the day he passes on.
Temujin manages to convert Ong Khan to this new religion, along with his brothers—Khaser, Khajiun, and Temuge—his mother Hoelun, his sister Temulin, and his half brothers Bekhter and Belgutei, along with the bulk of the Kerait tribe and the Borjigin Clan. Jamuqa, however, refuses to convert, causing a rift between the two former friends that will never be healed, ending their Blood Brotherhood.
Temujin ensures that his followers to convert to his new religion by ensuring that his tale of the "miracle" spreads far and wide. It’s during this time that the Yassa Code (whose variations govern much of the East to this day) comes into being for the first time. It’s likely that Borte had a heavy hand in their design, as it incorporates what she remembers of the Ten Commandments into the Code.
Borte has by now, according to The Secret History of the Mongols informed her husband of the existence of the original “People of the Covenant” to the west. Temujin vows to one day find these communities and bring them under his protection.
But first he has to deal with Jamuqa, who has now become Gur Khan (universal ruler) in his own right, a direct challenge to his authority. Combined with his defiance of Temujin’s efforts to spread Judaism, he raises the ire of the young ruler.
Although he defeats Temujin in several battles, Jamuqa makes the fatal mistake of encouraging ethnic divisions in his forces, while Temujin uses every opportunity to unify his forces by allowing promotion based on merit and spreading the faith in the Lord of Hosts. Combined with aid from Toghrul—[who unlike IOTL does not side with Jamuqa, as he’s more influenced by Temujin’s new faith even than his own son]—it doesn’t take long before Jamuqa is captured and executed by Temujin, having spurned one last offer of forgiveness (and conversion).
In South America, the city of Cuzco is founded by Inca leader Manco Capac.
1202:
The Mongols crush the Tartars, forcing them to convert to Judaism.
In France, the fiefs of King John of England within in the Kingdom of France—in Aquitaine, Poitou, and Anjou—are confiscated by King Philip, who grants the land to his nephew, John of Brittany.
In Italy, Leonardo Fibonacci publishes Liber Abaci, which revolutionizes the teaching of mathematics; it details the usage of fractions, percentages, different methods of calculating prices.
1204:
During their sack of Constantinople, the Crusaders destroy the Jewish Quarter of the Byzantine capital.
Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon, better known in Europe as Maimonides, passes away in Cairo at the age of 69. He’s most famous for his Letter of the Jews of Yemen—in which he stressed that forced conversion outside the faith was not sinful if loyalty to Israel was maintained—the Mishneh Torah, a summary of Jewish law and rituals, and his Guide to the Perplexed. All of his works will later be translated in Karakorum, Bukhara, Samarqand, and Kaifeng by the Rabbis of those cities and their scribes.
The first synagogue is built in Vienna; it will later be destroyed when news reaches the city of the Mongol taking of Jerusalem.
Pope Innocent III dispatches Abbot Armand Amalric of Citeaux and Peter of Castelnau to wipe out the heretic Cathars of Languedoc.
The first sawmill is built in France.
1205:
By this time, Temujin has brought the formerly various Keraits, Uyghurs, Merkits, Naimans, and Mongols under his control, ensured the diffusion of Judaism amongst them, and having vanquished his rival Jamuqa, declares that he has taken the name new name Judah (after the son of Jacob), and the new title Warrior of the One God. He declares to his soldiers that God has taken them into His Covenant, and that it is the duty, as soldiers of the Lord of Hosts, to conquer the world and bring it into the Covenant. The Mongol Empire is born...
~~~~~
Comments? I can continue this if you all want.
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Burton K Wheeler
Moderator
You rang?
The following was directly inspired by the Judith Tarr short story Measureless to Man from Harry Turtledove's Alternate Generals III, which had the Mongols convert to Judaism and spread their new faith far and wide. I posted earlier versions of this timeline on another thread last summer (which had the challenge to create a Jewish China).
~~~~~
I like it a lot! Though this probably just ensures larger diaspora Jewish populations across the former Mongol Empire and more antisemitism in Europe. Maybe Korea or some place like that goes entirely Jewish?
Don't have Paul the evangilist go around the eastern med preaching christianity to gentiles. This most likely leads to christianity being a minor sect of judiasm, since most Christians were Jews before conversion, due to the fact of adult circumsicion for gentiles. In a few years the sect would either have changed the jews or have gone back into the greater jewish fold.
Another suggestion: before the rise of Islam, Judaism was quite common among various Berber tribes in the area of western Algeria and modern Morocco.
In OTL, Christianity never really gained a firm foothold in this area, but it retained a large Jewish community until well into the Islamic age.
With a bit of luck and without Islam or Christianity penetrating into this region, I'd say that Judaism could very well become as influential here as it was in the kingdom of Himyar.
Just make sure that a powerful Jewish Berber tribe establishes a strong state, and you've got a scenario with a lot of potential.
In OTL, Christianity never really gained a firm foothold in this area, but it retained a large Jewish community until well into the Islamic age.
With a bit of luck and without Islam or Christianity penetrating into this region, I'd say that Judaism could very well become as influential here as it was in the kingdom of Himyar.
Just make sure that a powerful Jewish Berber tribe establishes a strong state, and you've got a scenario with a lot of potential.
Abdul Hadi Pasha
Banned
When I read this thread title, I can't help but think, "Well, it IS tax time, so we could certainly use more Jews!" As it is, I don't know when I'm going to get my return filed.
David
Interesting idea but going to make the Mongol conquests markedly bloodier and probably shorter lasting as they will face much stiffer opposition if their seeking to impose Judaism on the populations they conquer. Under Temujin the initial attacks might go not greatly different from OTL given his leadership but resistance will stiffen. Also conquering China will be even bloodier. [On the other hand a predominately Jewish China would definitely meet the scenario criteria for a Jewish population similar to that of Christians and Muslims].
Have considered a revived Kharzia as Thane mentioned but also if it expands its influence eastwards under a couple of powerful and successful monarch rather than declining during the 10th-11th century. It might then influence a lot of the Turkish tribes, hence prompting a Jewish Seljuk onslaught into Persia and points west, as mentioned in another recent TL.
Steve
Interesting idea but going to make the Mongol conquests markedly bloodier and probably shorter lasting as they will face much stiffer opposition if their seeking to impose Judaism on the populations they conquer. Under Temujin the initial attacks might go not greatly different from OTL given his leadership but resistance will stiffen. Also conquering China will be even bloodier. [On the other hand a predominately Jewish China would definitely meet the scenario criteria for a Jewish population similar to that of Christians and Muslims].
Have considered a revived Kharzia as Thane mentioned but also if it expands its influence eastwards under a couple of powerful and successful monarch rather than declining during the 10th-11th century. It might then influence a lot of the Turkish tribes, hence prompting a Jewish Seljuk onslaught into Persia and points west, as mentioned in another recent TL.
Steve
I guess this would make this a "Make a super-Israel" alternate history thread.
In Judiasm, isn't it a requirement that only the mother be Jewish-Hebrew for her children to be considered Hebrew?
Maybe during/before 1250BC, they had an even larger population explosion before the Exodus. Now, wandering in the desert for 40 years would deplete those numbers again, but it might be larger.
A House Less Divided - Perhaps one scenario is that Israel capitalizes on the weakness of surrounding civilizations, allowing them to expand and hold territory longer.
950BC - Egypt is weak, and Israel invades and conquers Egypt, gaining access to the fertile Nile. (Didn't it say somewhere in the Bible about their lands being from the Nile to the Euphrates?).
925BC - They suffer a brief civil war, but reunite. Their population continues to grow having control of Egyptian lands.
850BC - A weak Assyria is conquered by Israel before they can become strong. This gives Israel fertile land to the east.
625BC - Israel loses a few battles to the Lydians, and lose some lands to the north.
500BC - Israel's population is booming, as well as trade, thanks to the Greeks, Romans, and Carthagians (The Phoenecians still managed to get a colony or two out for that to happen). They are able to stop the Persians, but the Persians still control the mountainous terrain to the east and north. Israel also starts expanding down the nile, into Ethiopia.
1AD - Israel is conquered by Rome. The Middle East and Egypt/Nubia/Ethiopia are considered Western and Eastern Judea.
450AD - Israel revolts against Byzantium, regaining most of their territory. Israel trades with Arab nomads, and starts settling across the peninsula. The women marry into Arab households. Their children are now Hebrew (still 100% descendants of Abraham).
500AD - Persia, seeing instability in the region, conquers most of Isreal, leaving them in Egypt, and a sliver of culture around the Red Sea, and parts of southern Arabia.
610AD - A new sect appears in southern Arabia. Instead of being a seperate religion entirely, it's a more radicalized/Nationalistic version of Judaism. Maybe Judiasm thinks this is their Messiah, coming to rid them of the Persians, Byzantines/Greeks, and later, Romans.
The timeline then starts to mirror our timeline. They would control land as far east as the Indus river, far north as the Asian Steppes, far west into the west coast of Africa, far south as Ethiopia, and maybe even into Greece. They would eventually subjugate the population with their people.
In Judiasm, isn't it a requirement that only the mother be Jewish-Hebrew for her children to be considered Hebrew?
Maybe during/before 1250BC, they had an even larger population explosion before the Exodus. Now, wandering in the desert for 40 years would deplete those numbers again, but it might be larger.
A House Less Divided - Perhaps one scenario is that Israel capitalizes on the weakness of surrounding civilizations, allowing them to expand and hold territory longer.
950BC - Egypt is weak, and Israel invades and conquers Egypt, gaining access to the fertile Nile. (Didn't it say somewhere in the Bible about their lands being from the Nile to the Euphrates?).
925BC - They suffer a brief civil war, but reunite. Their population continues to grow having control of Egyptian lands.
850BC - A weak Assyria is conquered by Israel before they can become strong. This gives Israel fertile land to the east.
625BC - Israel loses a few battles to the Lydians, and lose some lands to the north.
500BC - Israel's population is booming, as well as trade, thanks to the Greeks, Romans, and Carthagians (The Phoenecians still managed to get a colony or two out for that to happen). They are able to stop the Persians, but the Persians still control the mountainous terrain to the east and north. Israel also starts expanding down the nile, into Ethiopia.
1AD - Israel is conquered by Rome. The Middle East and Egypt/Nubia/Ethiopia are considered Western and Eastern Judea.
450AD - Israel revolts against Byzantium, regaining most of their territory. Israel trades with Arab nomads, and starts settling across the peninsula. The women marry into Arab households. Their children are now Hebrew (still 100% descendants of Abraham).
500AD - Persia, seeing instability in the region, conquers most of Isreal, leaving them in Egypt, and a sliver of culture around the Red Sea, and parts of southern Arabia.
610AD - A new sect appears in southern Arabia. Instead of being a seperate religion entirely, it's a more radicalized/Nationalistic version of Judaism. Maybe Judiasm thinks this is their Messiah, coming to rid them of the Persians, Byzantines/Greeks, and later, Romans.
The timeline then starts to mirror our timeline. They would control land as far east as the Indus river, far north as the Asian Steppes, far west into the west coast of Africa, far south as Ethiopia, and maybe even into Greece. They would eventually subjugate the population with their people.
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CanadianGoose
Banned
Let Sviatoslav I of Kiev adopt Judaism as an official religion of Kievan Rus (as opposed to his son Vladimir adopting Eastern Orthodoxy). 100 mln Slavic Jews should not be a bad start and if they (Khazaria and Rus) manage to combine their efforts, they would complement each other nicely in creating Eurasian empire from Bug to Pacific and from the Northern Ocean to Iran.
CanadianGoose
Banned
Thanks, although there are several big IFs in this scenario. BTW, for some valuable clues regarding relationships between "Old Jews", so to speak, and Jewish Mongols in your TL, you can take a look at relationships between Russians and Greeks OTL.
would Sviatoslav really be the best candidate for the conversion though? for one, he was a staunch pagan his whole life (who refused to convert in fear of humiliating himself in the eyes of his soldiers) who resisted multiple attempts at converting him by Olga who had been baptized earlier. not to mention that Sviatoslav was the one who sacked Atil and destroyed Khazaria, so would he be very likely to adopt the religion of the nation he destroyed? (if he were to convert before, well, political decisions often stemmed from kings' personal views, so I can't imagine Sviatoslav ever had much love for the Khazars).
In one of Gregory Benford's AH anthologies, Alternate Americas, somebody had Spain deport the Jews to the Americas in the 1490s, I think...or maybe I'm thinking of two different stories in the anthology. Neither of them did much with the idea, but maybe the Jews get along with the Native Americans and start evangelizing so they can ally with the Native Americans against the conquistadores?
I'm only suggesting that because you've already suggested all the better ideas.
I'm only suggesting that because you've already suggested all the better ideas.
I'm going to place the year 1000 as the latest possible time a monotheistic religion can be founded and become humongous by present day, based on historical analysis.
Because Judaism was started much before that, I think that the ball must start moving by that time as well. So instead let's have Vladimir being convinced of Judaism's awesomeness and converting. At this point in time the Caliphate is weak, and the Khazars know it.
So the Khazars get the newly Jew-ified Rus on their side, as well as Byzantine backing, and attack the Caliphate. The Caliphate crumbles into several Arabic states and the friendly-to-Jews Fatamid Caliphate. Jews throughout the Muslim world are suddenly in a much more important position, and are seen as aristrocrats among the Arabs.
Islam's rise is permanently stunted, and its grip on fringe areas weakens. Many new nations rising from the Caliphate's corpse convert to Judaism, the most inviting religion in the area.
With Jewish backing, Pagan states in Eastern Europe maintain their paganity and push back the tide of Catholic expansion. Eventually a few of those pagan countries follow the Khazar and Rus example and convert.
Over the next part of the middle ages, most of the Middle East is Jew-fied, and the Khazars and Rus slowly expand north and east, into Central Asia and the steppe.
A reverse Crusades is launched eventually, and several Jewish kingdoms carve out 'Crusader states' in Catholic Europe to save the Jews there, and also because of harsh feelings between the pope and the Jewish world.
These crusader states don't last, but the 'crusades' do cover Europe with heavy Jewish influence. When time comes to colonialize, the Jews are the slightly oppressed minority that make useful, loyal settlers.
Many of the colonies in the New World are predominantly Jewish, and the trade is pretty much controlled by them. This, in turn, just opens up the New World for even more Jews.
I predict that *Russia is formed as a Jewish state and stretches in its OTL territory.
Because Judaism was started much before that, I think that the ball must start moving by that time as well. So instead let's have Vladimir being convinced of Judaism's awesomeness and converting. At this point in time the Caliphate is weak, and the Khazars know it.
So the Khazars get the newly Jew-ified Rus on their side, as well as Byzantine backing, and attack the Caliphate. The Caliphate crumbles into several Arabic states and the friendly-to-Jews Fatamid Caliphate. Jews throughout the Muslim world are suddenly in a much more important position, and are seen as aristrocrats among the Arabs.
Islam's rise is permanently stunted, and its grip on fringe areas weakens. Many new nations rising from the Caliphate's corpse convert to Judaism, the most inviting religion in the area.
With Jewish backing, Pagan states in Eastern Europe maintain their paganity and push back the tide of Catholic expansion. Eventually a few of those pagan countries follow the Khazar and Rus example and convert.
Over the next part of the middle ages, most of the Middle East is Jew-fied, and the Khazars and Rus slowly expand north and east, into Central Asia and the steppe.
A reverse Crusades is launched eventually, and several Jewish kingdoms carve out 'Crusader states' in Catholic Europe to save the Jews there, and also because of harsh feelings between the pope and the Jewish world.
These crusader states don't last, but the 'crusades' do cover Europe with heavy Jewish influence. When time comes to colonialize, the Jews are the slightly oppressed minority that make useful, loyal settlers.
Many of the colonies in the New World are predominantly Jewish, and the trade is pretty much controlled by them. This, in turn, just opens up the New World for even more Jews.
I predict that *Russia is formed as a Jewish state and stretches in its OTL territory.
Starting with the Jewish Expulsion of 1492, Spanish Jews are deported to the New World. Other European monarchs follow the precedent during the various Expulsions.
CanadianGoose
Banned
There're several factors to consider here. 1st, Judaism doesn't have this trap "non-believeres will be in hell, converts will be in heaven" trap which had been stumbling block for many Pagan rulers. 2nd, Sviatoslav could be raised by Jewish Khazarian noble, as opposed to Pagan one OTL. 3rd, Sviatoslav looks like more logical choice based on internal dynamic of Russian history. He had been 3rd ruler of Kievan Rus (not counting his mother, who had been a queen regent). Converting Igor would be too early. But I agree that actual POD had to be earlier, as adversarial relationships between Rus and Khazars were well-established fact by the time Sviatoslv came to age. His conversion to Judaism at this point is almost as likely as G.W.Bush alliance with Taliban.
By the Vladimir's time Judaism is humiliated through and through by Sviatoslav's blows. For Vladimir adopting G-d which could not protect faithful is as likely as USA adopting communism in the end of Cold War.
I have great doubts about wholehearted Byzantine support, as their main idea was not to let any of neighbours become too bold. Facing new superpower of Rus and Khazaria (who both humiliated them before on numbers of occasions), they're not likely to support them against Arabs at this point, Arab tide being somehow calmed by 980s. I also doubt that successful Jewish attack against Muslims will somehow make Jews "aristrocrats among the Arabs". Very brutal and meticulous ethnic cleansing seem to be more likely outcome.
By that time Czech and Poles converted to Christianity (although both will remain a weak link in Christian chain for centuries to come), creating barier between Rus and Western Slavs and Scandinavia (last remnant of Pagan Europe). Moreover, I see Jewish support of Pagan rulers against Christians as not too likely. After all, Mosaic religions always begrudgingly recognized mutual kinship and despised pagans much more than each others.
Conversion of Northerners to Judaism faces one potent stumbling block. Judaism is prohibiting pork, and pig is one of main sources of meat for those peoples. It isn't coincidence that Islam never went farther north than sheep herding OTL.
Unlikely.
Slowly? Why are they slower than OTL? Yes, Slavic expansion NE OTL was caused by the pressure from Steppe to the great extent, but it is not like those lands will be snapped by somebody else if Slavs will delay their colonization. And Slavs will be dragged North and East by want of furs, with trade flourishing in Rus-Khazar empire (Kaganate). Finno-Ugric states appearing in NE Russia OTL? I don't think so. So yes, may be NE expansion will be slower, but outcome will be same. In the meanwhile, Southern, Western and Eastern neighbours of Kaganate are in for very unpleasant surprise, as new state posess fine infantry and marines (Slavs), superior mounted archers (Khazars) and all opportunities to develop heavy cavalry (along the lines of medieval Polish and Ruthenian cavalry OTL). Would Slavs and Khazars be able to co-exist within same state, it would be real tough nut to crack.
Did OTL crusades cover ME with heavy Christian influence? Why should "Jewish Crusadeds be different". Again, much more likely result of any hostilities between European Christendom and Kaganate will be expulsion/extermination of European Jews to Kaganate.
*Russia (Kaganate), having 1000 years to develop, can unite under single ethno-religious umbrella everything OTL USSR had in Asia, plus very likely control Iran (Muslim vassal state of Kaganate, along the lines of Russian Central Asia OTL), possibly Iraq and Middle East (as Jerusalem will be the ultimate Holy Grail for Kaganate leadership).