More detailed than the survey lecture covering similar period of time, this course will allow students to explore Jewish experience under Christian and Muslim rule during the Middle Ages through close examination and analysis of primary sources.  We will discuss issues related to Jews' legal status, economic activity, intellectual and cultural developments and their contacts with their neighbors on many level, official and unofficial.   We will attempt to discern what their live may have been like and address commonly held presuppositions about Jewish experience during the Middle Ages.

1.  Tue.  09/03 Introduction: Middle Ages and the Jews.

2.  Th. 09/05 Aspects of Medieval History and the Jews: Salo Baron "The Jewish Factor in Medieval Civilization" in Ancient and Medieval History of the Jews, 239-267; Mark Cohen "Myth and Counter Myth" and "Religions in Conflict" in Under Crescent and Cross, 3-29.

Textual Foundations:

3.  Tue.  09/10 Biblical Foundations I: Morton Smith ""The Old Testament and Its Interpretation" in Palestinian Parties and Politics that Shaped  the Old Testament, Philip Davies In Search of Ancient Israel , 90-148 (hand-out).

4.  Th. 09/12 Biblical Foundations II: Genesis, Exodus, Deuteronomy, Isaiah 1-12; 30, 42-44; 48-49; 52, 53; 59; 61; Jeremiah 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 12, 14, 31, 32, 44; Psalms: 2, 8, 13; 15; 16; 18; 59; 84; 85; 86;111; 119;132;

5.  Tue.  09/17 Emergence of Christianity I:Brandon "History of Theology? BAsic Problems of the Evidence of the Trial of Jesus of Nazareth," D. Flusser "The Dead Sea Sect and Pre-Pauline Christianity; W. Meeks "Breaking Away" and M. Simon "History or Theology;" Lawrence Schiffman "Jewish Sectarianism in Second Temple Times" in Great Schisms in Jewish History (hand-out).

6.  Th. 09/19 Emergence of Christianity II: Gospels and Paul's Letters.

7.  Tue.  09/24 Jewish Responses to the Destruction of the Second Temple and the Emergence of Rabbinic Judaism.  Explore Prof. Segal's Website: The Mishnah and the Talmud. Gerson Cohen "Rabbinic Heritage" in Studies in the Variety of Rabbinic Cultures, 61-97.

8.  Th. 09/26 The Emergence of Rabbinic Judaism:  The Mishnah and The Talmudim (excerpts). SHORT PAPER ASSIGNMENT

9.  Tue.  10/01  LIBRARY RESEARCH SESSION: OLIN DEVELIN ROOM *Please note that absence from this session will result in over all grade penalty*

10. Th.  10/03 NO CLASS (MAKE-UP TBA)

11.  Tue.  10/08 Islam: Anton Wessels Understanding the Qur'an, 1-8, 27-38, 123-142; Richard Bell Introduction to the Qur'an chapters II: "The Origin of the Qur'an" and III: "The Form of the Qur'an", 37-66; Camilla Adang Muslim Writers on Judaism and the Hebrew Bible, "The Reception of Biblical Materials in Early Islam," 1-22; Bell "The Form of Qur'an" and "The Origin of Qur'an." *Bibliographical Assignment Due* YOU SHOULD HAVE DISCUSSED YOUR PAPER IDEAS WITH ME BY NOW!

12.  Th. 10/10: Islam: The Qur'an Suras: 1-5, 17, 24, 26, 56, 63, 68, 75, 112, 114. PAPER TOPICS AND BIBLIOGRAPHY DUE

Mutual Attitudes:

13 Tue. 10/15 Jews under Christianity:  Early Christian Attitudes, Church Fathers:  Medieval Sourcebook: Saint John Chrysostom: Homilies Against the Jews ; Augustine and his Legacy (HANDOUT) SHORT PAPER DRAFT DUE

Th. 10/17 No Class - FALL BREAK

14. Tue.  10/22 Jewish Responses to Early Christianity and Jewish Attitudes toward non-Jews (pagans and Christian, Jesus in Jewish Sources): Testimonium Flavianum - Josephus ;  Celsus on Jesus- 2nd Century ;Tertullian Mocks Jewish 'Slanders' ; Yeshu and Joshua b. Perachiah ; Baraitha Sanhedrin 43a ; Toledoth Yeshu; (+Handout, Midrash)
 

15. Th. 10/24  Jews and Islam: Stroumsa article, Camilla Adang Muslim Writers on Judaism and the Hebrew Bible  "Al-Maqdisi's Description of Judaism",  257-263, Medieval Sourcebook: The Medieval Jewish Kingdom of the Khazars  (also in Jacob Marcus’ Jew in the Medieval World); Medieval Sourcebook: Judah Ha-Levi, The Kuzari, part I. ; A Maimonides Reader "Epistle to Yemen," 437-462.
 

Legal Status of Jews under Christianity and Islam:

16. Tue.  10/29 Legal Status under Christianity and Islam: Mark Cohen Under Crescent and Cross, 30-76 (hand-out); Salo Baron "Plenitude of Apostolic Powers and Medieval "Jewish Serfdom" in Ancient and Medieval Jewish History. SHORT PAPER FINAL VERSION DUE

17. Th. 10/31 Texts on Jewish Legal Status under Christianity I: Roman Law and Christian Emperors. Jewish History Sourcebook: Jews and the Later Roman Law 315-531 CE (also in Jacob Marcus’ Jew in the Medieval World; Jewish History Sourcebook: Julian and the Jews 361-363 CE (also in Jacob Marcus’ Jew in the Medieval World); Medieval Sourcebook: Justinian: Novella 146: On Jews (+Handout on Byzantium and Roman Imperial Legislation), Medieval Sourcebook: Royal Grants to the Jewish Community of Barcelona, 1241-1271 Chazan pp. 53-95; Self-Government. HANDOUT + Medieval Sourcebook: Jewish Community of Barcelona: The Book of Document Forms; Medieval Sourcebook: Barcelona Jewish Court Documents, 1293: A Daughter's Inheritance; Medieval Sourcebook: Barcelona Jewish Court Documents: A Jewish Widow and her Daughter, 1261-1262 ;

18.Tue.  11/05 Texts on Jewish Legal Status under Christianity II: The Church: Chazan Church, State and the Jew 15-43; 167-205. PAPER OUTLINES DUE

19.Th. 11/07 Church, State and the Jews III: Chazan Church, State and the Jew  95-167.

20.Tue.  11/12 Jewish Status Under Islam: (Stillman Jews of Arab Lands, Part One, ch.  1; Part Two, ch.  1, ch.  2: pp.  152-170; The Exilarchs and the Gaonim, and others  (Stillman: Part Two, ch.  2 pp.  171-189, 208-214, 217-226; Medieval Sourcebook: Abraham Ibn Daud: On Samuel Ha-Nagid, Vizier of Granada, 11Cent

Jewish Society and Culture:

21. Th. 11/14 Jewish Culture and Society under Islam I: Learning and Art (Poetry) Scheindlin, handout Sefer ha-Kabbalah.

22. Tue.  11/19 Jewish Culture and Society under Islam II:The Maimonides Reader pp. 42-86; 99-108; 121-131; 135-139, 155-170, 174-179, 222-227, 235-358, 402-423, 478-480 + HANDOUT;

23. Th. 11/21 Jewish Culture and Society under Christianity Responsa and Rabbinic Writings HANDOUT +  ; Medieval Sourcebook: Rashi: Jewish Community in Troyes, c.1100 ; Medieval Sourcebook: Jewish Ethical Wills, 12th & 14th Centuries ; Medieval Sourcebook: Reciting the Grace after Meals: The Status of Jewish Women, from Berakhot, chapter 7

Jews and Non-Jews, Attitudes, Conflicts and Coexistence:

24. Tue  11/26  Jewish Society under Christianity Ivan Marcus Rituals of Childhood (entire) DRAFTS DUE

Th.  11/28  NO CLASS THANKSGIVING

26. Tue. 12/05 Jewish Attitudes toward Christians: Jacob Katz Exclusiveness and Tolerance, 3-113

27. Th.  12/07 Violence: The Chronicles: Chazan European Jewry and the First Crusade pp. 223-end

28. TBA MAKE-UP CLASS FOR 10/03. Coexistence under Christianity and reassessment: Handout + Medieval Sourcebook: A Rabbinic Responsum: The Shabbat Goy: Angevin England; Medieval Sourcebook: Gilbert Crispin: Disputation of a Jew with a Christian about the Christian Faith (Before 1096) ; Medieval Sourcebook: Anselm of Canterbury: How to Treat a Convert (before 1100) ; Medieval Sourcebook: Contact between English Jews and Christians: Two Twelfth-century Views ;  Medieval Sourcebook: Gerald of Wales: Two Cistercian Monks turn Jews (before 1200)Medieval Sourcebook: Medieval Converts to Judaism: France and Germany; Medieval Sourcebook: A Business Partnership between a Jew and Christian in Barcelona, 1235-1242 CE ;

FINAL PAPER DUE THURSDAY 12/14 by 5 pm