Prof. Magdalena Teter 208 PAC Ext. 5356 E-mail: mteter@wesleyan.edu

Classes: Tu. Th., 9-10:20am  Location: PAC 001 Office hours: T: 10:30-12; Th.: 1:00-2:30 or by appointment.

This is the first part of a two-semester survey course in Jewish history.  The first segment begins with Antiquity and ends with the expulsion of the Jews from Spain and the forced conversion of Portuguese Jews at the end of the 15th century.  The HIST248 sequel will cover topics in Jewish history from the sixteenth century until modern times.  The emphasis of the whole course will be on the diversity of Jewish experience throughout history.  We will address questionable stereotypes and presuppositions of Jewish life and history, including -- what the historian Salo W. Baron dubbed --  the "lachrymose concept of Jewish history."  This will be attained by discussing Jewish culture, politics, economic activities, social and legal status; their relations with non-Jewish authorities and neighbors. While the course will follow a chronological order, it will focus on themes.  It is a lecture course, but student participation is expected.

1.  Tu. 09/04 Introduction

2.  Th. 09/06 The Bible and the “Biblical Period” (Shaye Cohen From the Maccabees to the Mishnah Chapters 1 and 6; Bible: Genesis; Kings II)  Timetable

3.  Tu.  09/11 The Second Temple and Hellenism  (Shaye Cohen From the Maccabees to the Mishnah Chapters: 2-4).

4.  Th. 09/13 Jewish Sectarianism  (Shaye Cohen From the Maccabees to the Mishnah Chapter 5; Gospels of Luke, Mark and John).

5.  Tu.  09/18 Emergence of Christianity  (Jeremy Cohen Essential Papers on Judaism and Christianity in Conflict Section I: Late Antiquity -- chapters 1-3: D. Flusser "The Dead Sea Sect and Pre-Pauline Christianity; W. Meeks "Breaking Away" and M. Simon "History or Theology", the Gospel of Matthew; Letters of St. Paul: Romans, Corinthians, Galatians)

6.  Th. 09/20 Emergence of Rabbinic Judaism (Shaye Cohen From the Maccabees to the Mishnah Chapter 7, Y.H. Yerushalmi Zakhor ch.1).

7.  Tu.  09/25 Roman Legacy: Roman Church and Empire.  (Jacob Marcus Jew in the Medieval World, Section I “State and the Jew” chapters 1-2; Section II “Church and the Jew”, chapters 19-20; Medieval Sourcebook: Justinian: Novella 146: On Jews) FIRST AND SECOND YEAR STUDENTS TOPIC WITH BIBLIOGRAPHY DUE.

8. Th. 09/27 Church and the Jews I: The Church Fathers.  (R. Ruether "The Adversus Judaeos Tradition in the Church Fathers" in Essential Papers on Judaism and Christianity in Crisis, chapter 5.; Jacob Marcus The Jew in the Medieval World ch.  21; Medieval Sourcebook: Saint John Chrysostom: Homilies Against the Jews)

9.   Tu.  10/02  Jewish Settlements in Western Europe and Byzantine Jewry. JUNIORS AND SENIORS – PAPER TOPIC AND BIBLIOGRAPHY DUE.

Jews under Islam:

10. Th. 10/05 Emergence of Islam and the Jews' Legal Status  (Mark Cohen Under Crescent and Cross chapters: Introduction, ch.  1, 2, 4; Jacob Marcus Jew in the Medieval World, Section I “State and the Jew” chapter 3) FIRST AND SECOND YEAR STUDENTS DRAFT DUE
 

 11.  Tu.  10/09  Jewish Culture and Intellectual Traditions  (Jacob Marcus Jew in the Medieval World chapters 57,58,62,75; Jewish Poetry)

12.  Th. 10/11  Jews in  Muslim  Spain  (Jacob Marcus Jew in the Medieval World ch.59, 63-I; reader, E. Ashtor Jews of Moslem Spain -- Handout)
 

Fall BREAK 10/12-10/17

13.  Th. 10/18  Messianic and Sectarian Movements  (Jacob Marcus Jew in the Medieval World ch.47; reader: S.W. Baron “Messianic and Sectarian Movements”)

TAKE-HOME MIDTERM EXAM DISTRIBUTED ON WEDNESDAY, DUE THURSDAY MORNING.

Jews in Christian Europe

14.  Tu.  10/23 Legal Status:  Protection and Vulnerability.  (Mark Cohen Under Crescent and Cross ch.3; Jacob Marcus The Jew in the Medieval World ch.4,6,7,8; HANDOUT *from Chazan’s Church, State and the Jew*)
 

15.  Th. 10/25 Church and the Jews II: Papal Attitudes.  (Jeremy Cohen Essential Papers on Judaism and Christianity in Conflict ch.6-7: Bumenkranz and Grayzel; Jacob Marcus The Jew in the Medieval World ch.  22, 27, 30) FIRST AND SECOND YEAR STUDENTS – PAPER DUE

16. Tu.  10/30 The Crusades and the Aftermath  (R.  Chazan European Jewry and the First Crusade entire, Y.  Yerushalmi Zakhor ch.2). JUNIORS AND SENIORS – OUTLINE DUE
 

17. Th. 11/01 Church and the Jews III: Friars, the Popes and the Jews – New Anti-Judaism.  (Jeremy Cohen "Scholarship and Intolerance in Medieval Academy" American Historical Review 91 (1986):592-613 Essential Papers on Judaism and Christianity in Conflict ch.10-11, Jacob Marcus The Jew in the Medieval World ch.  28-29). FIRST AND SECOND YEAR STUDENTS – SECOND PAPER TOPIC AND BIBLIOGRAPHY DUE

18.  Tu.  11/06 Church and the Jews IV: Jewish-Christian Polemic and Debates in the Middle Ages.  (Jeremy Cohen Essential Papers on Judaism and Christianity in Conflict ch.  17 and 18: D. Berger "Jewish Christian Debate in the Middle Ages: Introduction", Mark Cohen Under Crescent and Cross ch.9).

19.  Th. 11/08 Jews in Medieval Economy  (Mark Cohen Under Crescent and Cross ch.  5-8)

20. Tu.  11/13 Age of Expulsions: France and England.  (J.  Marcus Jew in the Medieval World ch.5+HANDOUT) JUNIORS AND SENIORS DRAFT DUE

21.  Th. 11/15 Medieval Jewish Community and Culture I: Communal Organization and Rabbinic Culture.  (Reader, Jacob Marcus The Jew in the Medieval World ch.  60,61, 63-II,74,77;Medieval Sourcebook: A Rabbinic Responsum: The Shabbat Goy: Angevin England ; 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; ) FIRST AND SECOND YEAR STUDENTS – DRAFT DUE

22. Tu.  11/20 Medieval Jewish Community and Culture II: Intellectual and Mystical Heritage (Ereserves: G.  Scholem Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism ch.  3; J.  Marcus Jew in the Medieval World ch.  49, 50) Medieval (Christian) Manuscripts at the Bodleian Library;

THANKSGIVING BREAK 11/20-11/26
 

23. Tue.  11/27 Medieval Jewish Community and Culture III:  Jewish Family and Rituals (Ivan Marcus The Rituals of Childhood).

24.  Th.  11/29 Between Ashkenaz and Sepharad: the Maimonidean Controversy. ALL PAPERS DUE.

25.  Tue. 12/04 Rise of Iberian Jewry (J.  Marcus Jew in the Medieval World ch.7, 11, 12;  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;  HANDOUT) Barcelona Haggadah

26.  Th.  12/06 The Age of Decline: Expulsions and Forced Conversions. (J.  Marcus Jew in the Medieval World ch.11, 12; HANDOUT)
 

 END OF CLASSES and THE FINAL EXAM