The existence of multiple gods (theòi) are supernatural presences (dàimones) to whom the Greeks attributed special abilities and powers. They believed that the presence and will of a god were manifested in every act and moment of life.
Throughout history, Jews have tragically faced persecution in many forms, but perhaps one of the most profound experiences of transformation occurred in the Iberian Peninsula, or Spain and Portugal. In the late 14th and 15th centuries, tens of thousands of Jews in Spain were forcibly converted to Catholicism. These Jews, known as Conversos, became an integral part of the religious and social fabric of Spain and Portugal, yet they lived under constant suspicion and scrutiny. A smaller, courageous subset of these converts, who tried to secretly maintain their Jewish traditions and practices, were often labeled Marranos—a derogatory term meaning "swine"—or, more commonly, Crypto-Jews.