Jewish Midwives in Late Renaissance Venice and the Transition to Modernity

There appears to be no currently accessible literature about midwifery practices in the Venetian Jewish ghetto. A hypothetical construct is created herein, based on biblical references, practices of the local Christian and various other European Jewish communities, Jewish customs and mystical beliefs, and contemporary standards and observations. After the barrier of the Jewish ghetto was removed by Napoleon, the entire Venetian community became equally affected by the newly developing standards for the medical care of childbirth.