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Internet Medieval Sourcebook
Selected Sources: Medieval Jewish Life
Contents
Jewish Communities and
Individuals
- A Rabbinic Responsum: The Shabbat Goy
- Khazaria
- In Islam
- In Christian Iberia
- Benjamin of Tudela (1160-1173): The Itinerary of Benjamin of Tudela Critical Text, Translation and Commentary by Marcus Nathan Adler.
- Jewish Community of Barcelona: The Book of
Document Forms, 13th century, trans. Elka Klein
- Gerald of Wales: Two Cistercian Monks
turn Jews, before 1200
- Royal Grants to the Jewish Community of Barcelona,
1241-1271, trans. Elka Klein
- Reciting the Grace after Meals: The Status of
Jewish Women, from Berakhot, chap. 7, trans. Elka Klein
- Barcelona Jewish Court Documents: A Daughter's
Inheritance, 1293, trans. Elka Klein
- Barcelona Jewish Court Documents: A Jewish Widow and
her Daughter, 1261-1262, trans. Elka Klein
- In France/Germany
- Relations Between Christians and Jews
Jewish Economic Activity
Jews and the State
- Roman Empire
- Islam
- Christian Iberia
- The Jews of Spain
and the Visigothic Code, 654-681
- Jews and Christians in Teruel: The Fuero of Teruel,
1176 CE
Excerpts from the Fuero, or urban ordinance.
- The Siete Partidas: Concerning Jews,
1265.
- Jewish Views of Royal Monetary
Policy in Aragon, 13th Century, trans. Elka Klein.
- Ordinance of the Jews of the Crown of
Aragon, 1354 CE
This ordinance or takkanah was the product of an increased sense of Jewish
vulnerability in the years after the Black Death (1348).
- Synod of Castilian Jews, 1432
Ordinances from assembly of the Jews of the kingdom of Castile at Valladolid in
1432.
- The Expulsion from
Spain, 1492
Account by an Italian Jew.
- Yirmiyahu Yovel: Converso
Dualities in the First Generation: The Cancioneros, Jewish Social Studies
Volume 4, Number 3
- France/Germany
- England
Jewish Intellectual and
Religious Life
- Toledoth
Yeshu, A sixth-century Jewish (negative) account of Jesus. [At UPenn].
- WEB Jewish Views of Jesus a
page with more texts.
- Sepher Yetzirah
[or Sefer Yatzira], translated from the Hebrew by Wm. Wynn Westcott, [At Wolf's Den]
The Sepher Yetzirah is one of the most famous of the ancient Qabalistic texts. It was
first put into writing around 200 C.E. Westcott's Translation was first published in 1887.
- Judah Ha-Levi (ca 1075-1141): The Kuzari, also known as
The Book of Argument and Proof in Defense of the Despised Faith (Kitab al
Khazari).
The entire first book of the Kuzari, a philosophical treatise written by the
Spanish Jewish philosopher and poet, Judah Ha-Levi. It is written in the form of a
dialogue, purportedly between the king of the Khazars and the representatives of various
belief systems, culminating with a rabbi.
- Maimonides (Rabbi Moses ben Maimon, or Rambam): The
Thirteen Principles of Judaism.
- Maimonides: The 613 Mitzvot.
- Maimonides: The Laws and Basic Principles
of the Torah.
- Maimonides: The Laws Concerning Mashiach,
Chapters 11 & 12 of Hilchos Melachim from the Mishneh Torah of the Rambam.
- Maimonides: Oath of Maimonides.
- The Hypertext Halacha.[At Project
Genesis/torah.org]
A translation of the Shulchan Aruch and Mishna Berurah. An excellent source
for the details of Jewish religious law.
Anti-Semitism
- Legislation Affecting the Jews, 300 to 800
CE
Index to Roman, Western and canonical laws
- Professions of Faith Extracted from Jews on Baptism,
Visgothic and Byzantine
- Prayers for Making a Synagogue into a
Church, in Latin.
From the Liber Sacramentorum Romanae Ecclesiae
- Socrates Scholasticus: The Blood Libel in Syria,
(late 4th century).
- Byzantine Liturgy for Good Friday.
This is a current English translation. It shows how the very negative Christian message
that Jews were "Christ-killers" was conveyed to the people - through the liturgy
of the churches. Latin Catholic Good Friday services were just as anti-Semitic, although
it has now been reformed. This aspect of Christian liturgy made Holy Week an extremely
dangerous time for Jews thoughout Christian-majority lands.
- John Chrysostom (c.347-407): Homilies Against the
Jews
- Justinian I: Novella 146: On Jews
- Antiochus Strategos: The Sack of Jerusalem, 614.
An example of Byzantine Antisemitism, and a version of the Blood libel.
- Elliott Horowitz: "The
Vengeance of the Jews Was Stronger Than Their Avarice": Modern Historians and the
Persian Conquest of Jerusalem in 614, Jewish Social Studies Volume 4, Number
2
- Agobard of Lyon: On the Insolence of the Jews To
Louis the Pious, trans. William L. North, 826/827
- Agobard of Lyon: On the Baptism of Slaves
Belonging to Jews (to Adalard, Wala, and Helisachar), trans. William L. North
- Ralph Glaber (d.c.1044): The Year 1000 AD from the
Miracles de Saint-Benoit, discusses early 11th century anti-semitism.
- Soloman bar Samson: The Crusaders in Mainz,
1096, written in mid 12th century.
- Gerald of Wales: Barnacle Geese Should
Convince the Jew of the Immaculate Conception, 1188
- The Abbey of St. Edmund’s and the Jews,
1173-1182
- Peter of Blois: Against the Perfidy of the
Jews , before 1198
- Thomas of Monmouth: The Life and Miracles of
St. William of Norwich, 1144, excerpts.
One of the major accusations against Jews of the charge that they killed Christian
children. This blood-libel was the center of a number of saint's cults. See the Catholic
Encylopedia [1913] article William
of Norwich for much background information. [Note that this article, while rejecting
the Ritual Murder and Blood Libels, does end by suggesting that some of the cases were
based on real incidents.]
- WEB Image and
Story of Anderl von Rinn: A Blood Libel Saint, supposedly 1462, in fact 17th century.
An image from Rinn showing the ritual murder of Anderl von Rinn. This file also contains
many links to other "blood libel" information.
- Ephraim ben Jacob: The Ritual Murder Accusation at Blois,
May, 1171.
- Roger of Hoveden: Persecution of Jews Following
Coronation of Richard I, 1189.
- Ephraim of Bonn: On the York Massacre of 1189-90.
- Innocent III: Letter on the Jews:
toleration, 1199.
- Innocent III: Constitution for the Jews - toleration,
1199.
- The Fourth Lateran Council: Canon - on
Jews.
- Gregory IX: Letter on the Jews - against Talmud [r.1227-1241], copyrighted
- Gregory X (r.1271-1276): Letter on the
Jews.
- Martin V: From Declaration on Protection for the Jews,
1419.
- Anti-Semitic Legends,
Translated and/or edited by D. L. Ashliman. [At Pitt]
- Martin Luther (1483-1546): The Jews and Their Lies,,
excerpts 1543.
- Martin Luther (1483-1546): On the Jews
and Their Lies, 1543, full text.
The Internet Medieval Sourcebook is part of the Internet History Sourcebooks Project. The Internet History Sourcebooks Project is located at the History Department of Fordham University, New York. The Internet
Medieval Sourcebook, and other medieval components of the project, are located at
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© Site Concept and Design: Paul Halsall created 26 Jan 1996: latest revision 20 January 2021
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