Severus of Minorca: Letter on the Conversion of the Jews (Hardcover)

Hardcover. This book provides an edited text, introduction, and the first English translation of a central document in the history of religious coercion in late antiquity: Severus of Minorca's Letter on the Conversion of the Jews. The Letter describes the forced conversion of the Jews of Minorca to Christianity in AD 418, allegedly under the influence of St Stephen's relics. Although ostensibly a hagiographical work, the Letter is fundamentally an anti-Jewish document, andtherein lies its interest for historians. It offers a fascinating perspective on Jewish-Christian relations in a Mediterranean town, and on the motives for religious intolerance in the unsettled ages ofthe Germanic invasions. In addition, its wealth of information about a diaspora Jewish community in the western empire makes it unique among the surviving sources. This book provides a Latin text and the first English translation of an important document in the history of the persecution of the Jews in the Christian Roman Empire. It offers a fascinating perspective on the religious and social life of a diaspora Jewish community, their relations with local Christians, and the campaign of intimidation and terror which eventually led to their conversion. This item is printed on demand. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.…