The Jew in Medieval Iberia: 1100-1500 (Jews in Space and Time) - Softcover

Ray, Jonathan

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1618112929 ISBN 13: 9781618112927

Publisher: Academic Studies Press, 2013

Synopsis

"The Jew in Medieval Iberia" is an exploration of the richness and diversity of Jewish society in Christian Iberia from 1100-1500, providing a fresh look at the ways in which medieval Jews conceived of themselves and their communities, as well as their relationship to the surrounding society. The essays collected in this volume transcend older stereotypes of Christian persecution and Jewish piety to reveal a complex and vibrant community of merchants and scholars, townsmen and women, cultural intermediaries and guardians of religious tradition. Taken together, they present a portrait that adds greater nuances to our understanding of both medieval Jewish and medieval Spanish history.

About this title

About the Author:

Jonathan Ray (Ph.D. Jewish Theological Seminary) is the Samuel Eig Associate Professor of Jewish Studies in the Theology Department at Georgetown University. He specializes in medieval and early modern Jewish history, focusing on the Sephardic world. Dr. Ray is the author of The Sephardic Frontier: The Reconquista and the Jewish Community in Medieval Iberia (Cornell University Press, 2006), and a frequent lecturer on Jewish history and inter-religious relations at the Smithsonian Institution and the State Department’s Foreign Service Institute.

Review:

“Not content to rehash a history of cultural achievement and social marginalization, The Jew in Medieval Iberia instead observes Sephardic Jews and their communities as they operated within the intersection of Iberian Jewish and Christian societies and cultures. Jonathan Ray has gathered 12 original essays by North American, Spanish and Israeli authors and has added an interpretive introductory essay, which surveys the diverse intellectual and economic life of Sephardic Jews. The volume provides teachers and students alike with the opportunity to view an intriguing mix of Jewish economic, political and religious behavior in a new light. The Jew in Medieval Iberia affords both scholars and interested readers a fresh look at a perennially fascinating subject.” (Benjamin R. Gampel, Eli and Dinah Family Chair in Jewish History, The Jewish Theological Seminary of America)

About this edition

• Publisher: Academic Studies Press
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 1618112929
• ISBN 13: 9781618112927
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 468