The Jew in Medieval Iberia - Jews in Space and Time by Jonathan Ray Paperback

Book 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.

Review Quotes

"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."

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.