Hebrew manuscripts are our most important source of knowledge about Jewish intellectual, religious and everyday life in the Middle Ages, and anyone wishing to engage with medieval Jewish history needs to know about the manuscripts themselves, how to study them, and the literary genres to which they belong. Colette Sirat offers a comprehensive overview of these subjects in this illustrated introduction to Hebrew manuscript culture. This 2002 work is a considerably re-structured, extended and updated version of an earlier presentation in French. It now encompasses all aspects of Hebrew manuscripts - textual, codicological and palaeographical - combining different disciplines to give an all-embracing view of the subject. The volume has been translated from the author's revision of her earlier French book, and edited for an English readership, by leading Hebrew scholar Nicholas de Lange, who worked closely with Professor Sirat in the preparation of the new book.

The Catalogue of the Hebrew Manuscripts in the Bodleian Library and in the College Libraries of Oxford is a comprehensive reference book written by Adolf Neubauer. The book provides a detailed and systematic catalogue of all the Hebrew manuscripts that are held in the Bodleian Library and the College Libraries of Oxford. The author has meticulously researched and documented each manuscript, providing a brief historical background and detailed descriptions of their contents, including the language, script, and binding. The book is an invaluable resource for scholars and researchers interested in the study of Hebrew manuscripts, Jewish history, and culture. It is an essential reference work for anyone studying or researching the rich cultural heritage of the Jewish people.1886. Including MSS. in other languages, which are written with Hebrew characters, or relating to the Hebrew language or literature; and a few Samaritan MSS. With forty facsimiles. Partial Contents: Works Quoted; Concordances of the Old and New Numbers; Biblical MSS; Translation of the Bible; Midrash and its Commentaries; Commentaries and Super-Commentaries; Thalmud, Halakhah; Thalmud, Agadah; Liturgies and their Commentaries; Theology, Philosophy and Ethics; Masorah, Grammar and Lexicography; Kabbalah; Poetry and Rhymed Prose; Mathematics, Astronomy, Astrology, Magic and Cosmography; Medicine; Miscellaneous; Additional MSS and Omissions; College MSS; MSS written in Roman Characters in Connection with Hebrew Literature; Latest Acquisitions; and Additional Samaritan MSS. See other titles by this author available from Kessinger Publishing.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.

Abraham Mapu (1808-1867) was one of the first, & finest, of the novelists to write in Hebrew. Heavily influenced by a wide range of sources, the Bible, the Romantic Novelists, & renewed pride in ancient Jewish history, his works recall the finest works of writers such as Flaubert & other great romantic novelists.

"A consideration of how segments of Orthodox society rewrite the past by eliminating that which does not fit in with their contemporary world-view. This wide-ranging and original review of how this policy is applied in practice adds a new perspective to Jewish intellectual history and to the understanding of the contemporary Jewish world"--

"Jewish Prayer Texts from the Cairo Genizah, which sets a new tone for future studies, consists of a selection of transcribed and translated Genizah fragments that contain some of the earliest known texts of rabbinic prayers. Reif describes in detail the physical makeup of each manuscript and assesses the manner in which the scribe has tackled the matter of recording a preferred version. He then places the prayer texts included in the manuscript within the context of Jewish liturgical history, explaining the degree to which they were innovative and whether they established precedents to be followed in later prayer-books. He offers specialists and more general readers a fresh understanding of the historical, theological, linguistic, and social factors that may have motivated adjustments to their liturgical formulations"--

Jacob Neusner, a noted scholar and prolific author on Jewish literature, history, and religion, believes that Jews and Christians do well to seek in their encounter with the teachings of the living God, the wisdom, imagination, and insight of the ages. "In this book," he writes in the Preface, "I want to contribute some modest measure of my own faith, Judaism, as that faith may add to the faith of our Christian neighbors, for all of us now dwell together in the new catacomb, the darkness of disdain for our common faith in one God, creator of heaven and earth, judge of all humankind. This is a book of religious faith."

Moshe Idel, the Max Cooper Professor Emeritus at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and Senior Researcher at the Shalom Hartman Institute, is a world-renowned scholar of the Jewish mystical tradition. His historical and phenomenological studies of rabbinic, philosophic, kabbalistic, and Hasidic texts have transformed modern understanding of Jewish intellectual history and highlighted the close relationship between magic, mysticism, and liturgy. A recipient of two of the most prestigious awards in Israel, the Israel Prize for Jewish Thought (1999) and the Emmet Prize for Jewish Thought (2002), Idel's numerous studies have uncovered persistent patterns of Jewish religious thought that challenge conventional interpretations of Jewish monotheism, while offering a pluralistic understanding of Judaism. His explorations of the mythical, theurgical, mystical, and messianic dimensions of Judaism have been attentive to history, sociology, and anthropology, while rejecting a naïve historicist approach to Judaism.

"This volume assembles twenty-three essays by Erich S. Gruen, who has written extensively on the literature and history of early Judaism and the experience of the Jews in the Greco-Roman world. Twenty-two of the articles have previously been published, and one new one was composed for the volume"--Back cover.

A History of Mediaeval Jewish Philosophy By Isaac Husik

""Parody in Jewish Literature"" by Israel Davidson is a comprehensive exploration of the use of parody in Jewish literature throughout history. The book covers a wide range of genres, including poetry, drama, and prose, and examines the ways in which Jewish authors have used parody to comment on society, religion, and politics.Davidson begins by defining what parody is and how it has been used in literature, before moving on to explore the specific ways in which Jewish authors have employed this technique. He examines works from the Bible and Talmudic literature, as well as more modern works from authors such as Sholem Aleichem, Isaac Bashevis Singer, and Philip Roth.Throughout the book, Davidson provides detailed analysis of specific works and passages, highlighting the ways in which parody has been used to subvert traditional Jewish texts and ideas, as well as to comment on contemporary issues. He also examines the role of parody in Jewish humor and satire, and how it has been used to challenge stereotypes and prejudice.Overall, ""Parody in Jewish Literature"" provides a fascinating insight into the use of parody in Jewish literature, and how it has been used to both entertain and challenge readers throughout history.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.

'In Becoming the People of the Talmud,' Talya Fishman examines ways in which circumstances of transmission have shaped the cultural meaning of Jewish traditions. Although the Talmud's preeminence in Jewish study and its determining role in Jewish practice are generally taken for granted, Fishman contends that these roles were not solidified until the late eleventh and early twelfth centuries. The inscription of Talmud—which Sefardi Jews understand to have occurred quite early, and Ashkenazi Jews only later—precipitated these developments. The encounter with Oral Torah as a written corpus was transformative for both subcultures, and it shaped the roles that Talmud came to play in Jewish life.What were the historical circumstances that led to the inscription of Oral Torah in medieval Europe? How did this body of ancient rabbinic traditions, replete with legal controversies and nonlegal material, come to be construed as a reference work and prescriptive guide to Jewish life? Connecting insights from geonica, medieval Jewish and Christian history, and orality-textuality studies, 'Becoming the People of the Talmud' reconstructs the process of cultural transformation that occurred once medieval Jews encountered the Babylonian Talmud as a written text. According to Fishman, the ascription of greater authority to written text was accompanied by changes in reading habits, compositional predilections, classroom practices, approaches to adjudication, assessments of the past, and social hierarchies. She contends that certain medieval Jews were aware of these changes: some noted that books had replaced teachers; others protested the elevation of Talmud-centered erudition and casuistic virtuosity into standards of religious excellence, at the expense of spiritual refinement. The book concludes with a consideration of Rhineland Pietism's emergence in this context and suggests that two contemporaneous phenomena—the prominence of custom in medieval Ashkenazi culture and the novel Christian attack on Talmud—were indirectly linked to the new eminence of this written text in Jewish life.

In Mediating Modernity, contemporary Jewish scholars pay tribute to Michael A. Meyer, scholar of German-Jewish history and the history of Reform Judaism, with a collection of essays that highlight growing diversity within the discipline of Jewish studies. The occasion of Meyer's seventieth birthday has served as motivation for his colleagues Lauren B. Strauss and Michael Brenner to compile this volume, with essays by twenty-four leading academics, representing institutions in five countries. Mediating Modernity is introduced by an overview of modern Jewish historiography, largely drawing on Meyer's work in that field, delineating important connections between the writing of history and the environment in which it is written. Meyer's own areas of specialization are reflected in essays on Moses Mendelssohn, German-Jewish historiography, the religious and social practices of German Jews, Reform Judaism, and various Jewish communities in America. The volume's field of inquiry is broadened by essays that deal with gender issues, literary analysis, and the historical relationship of Israel and the Palestinians. Though other volumes have been compiled to honor Jewish historians, Mediating Modernity is unique in the personal and intellectual relationships shared by its contributors and Michael A. Meyer. Scholars of Jewish studies, German history, and religious history will appreciate this timely volume.

"Focuses on the history of the Jewish Order Service (known as the Jewish Police) in the Warsaw Ghetto, 1940-1943 and its perception among ghetto inhabitants"--

The survival of Jewish identity and culture is one of the great enigmas of history. Faced with persecution, dispersal, pogroms and Hitler's "Final Solution", the future of the Jewish people was far from secure. "The Jewish Enigma" seeks to discover what made survival possible. In seven chapters, scholars trace the history of the Jewish people from the first Babylonian exile to the current state of Western and American Jewry. Topics covered include Jews in Islamic lands, the Emancipation, the history of anti-Semitism, the history of East European Jewry as well as the troubled history of Zionism and the Palestinians.

Preface Acknowledgments I. Introduction 1. An Incessantly Gushing Fountain: The Nature of Jewish Theology, Byron Sherwin II. Classical Theologians in the Twentieth Century: Approaches to God 2. Religion of Reason Out of the Sources of Judaism, Hermann Cohen 3. The Star of Redemption, Franz Rosenzweig 4. I and Thou 5. A Thirst for the Living God; and The Pangs of Cleansing, Abraham Isaac Kook 6. God as the Power that Makes for Salvation, Mordecai Kaplan 7. God in Search of Men, Abraham Joshua Heschel III. Contemporary Reflections on Traditional Themes A. God 8. Belief in a Personal God: The Position of Liberal Supernaturalism, Louis Jacobs 9. In Search of God, Elliot N. Dorff 10. From God to Godliness: Proposal for a Predicate Theology, Harold M. Schulweis 11. Toward a Feminist Jewish Reconstruction of Monotheism; and Further Thoughts on Liturgy as an Expression of Theology, Marcia Falk 12. Jewish Feminist Theology, Ellen M. Umansky B. Creation 13. The Wings of the Dove: Jewish Values, Science, and Halachah, David W. Weiss 14. Seek My Face, Speak My Name, Arthur Green C. Revelation 15. Revelation in the Jewish Tradition, Emanuel Levinas 16. Sacred Fragments: Recovering Theology for the Modern Jew, Neil Gillman D. Redemption 17. The Natural and the Supernatural Jew, Arthur A. Cohen 18. On Jewish Eschatology, Steven Schwarzschild E. Covenant/Chosenness 19. Renewing the Covenant, Eugene Borowitz 20. The Election of Israel, David Novak 21. The Body of Faith, Michael Wyschogrod 22. Standing Again at Sinai, Judith Plaskow 23. A Jewish Theology of Jewish Relations to Other Peoples, Elliot N. Dorff F. Law 24. Halakhic Man, Joseph Soloveitchik 25. Some Criteria for Modern Jewish Observance, Jakob J. Petuchowski 26. Dynamics of Judaism, Robert Gordis 27. Engendering Judaism, Rachel Adler IV. Two Pivotal Experiences in the Twentieth Century A. The Holocaust 28. Faith after the Holocaust, Eliezer Berkovits 29. After Auschwitz, Richard Rubenstein 30. The Jewish Return into History; and To Mend the World, Emil Fackenheim 31. Cloud of Smoke, Pillar of Fire: Judaism, Christianity, and Modernity after the Holocaust, Irving Greenberg B. The State of Israel 32. Exile as a Neurotic Solution, A.B. Yehoshua 33. The Third Jewish Commonwealth, David Hartman 34. The Religious and Moral Significance of the Redemption of Israel. Yeshayahu Leibowitz 35. Beyond Innocence and Redemption, Marc Ellis V. Looking Toward the Future of Jewish Thought: A Symposium 36. New Directions in Jewish Theology in America, Arthur Green 37. Another Perspective on Theological Directions for the Jewish Future, Rebecca T. Alpert 38. The Nature and Direction of Modern Jewish Theology: Some Thoughts Occasioned by Arthur Green, David Ellenson 39. B'nei Ezra: An Introduction to Textual Reasoning, Peter Ochs Suggestions for Further Reading Biographical Sketches.

The Greek and Jewish diasporas are the most significant diasporas of Western civilisation. "Homelands and Diasporas" is the first book to explore the similarities and differences between these two experiences. In the process it sheds fascinating light on their fundamental importance for both Greek and Jewish societies. The authors examine Greek and Jewish diasporas throughout history, from classical and Biblical times to the present, and all over the world - in Greece, the Balkans, Turkey, Russia, the Near and Middle East, Spain and the US. They analyse the very nature of diaspora, examining both the Greek concept of noble expansion and the Jewish idea of enforced exile, and analyse community structures as well as social and religious networks, combining Scriptural analysis with cultural and political history. Diaspora is a difficult and emotive concept but "Homelands and Diasporas" offers a balanced and perceptive guide to the connected histories of these two peoples away from their homelands.

Jewish journalism history is a growing field of active research, as evidenced by the growing number of new serials devoted to it. Given the geographic extent of the Jewish diaspora, the Jewish press offers valuable primary source materials for any historical study of the Jewish people. The social and intellectual history of the Jews in modern times can similarly be advanced by an examination of the Jewish press of the world. This volume, the first supplement to Jewish Serials of the World: A Research Bibliography , continues and extends the bibliographic coverage to include 3,000 new entries. The new volume's classified arrangement, enhanced by author and subject indexes, provide up-to-date coverage of all pertinent research, including theses and dissertations, on Jewish press and journalism history throughout the world in all languages. This new bibliography is indispensable for libraries supporting academic programs in Jewish Studies and journalism, as well as area studies. Singerman's coverage of the studies and research about the Jewish press is broadly defined, his scope is worldwide, and all pertinent languages are treated. The 3,000 entries are verified and bibliographically complete, and special efforts have been made to analyze hidden sections on the Jewish press buried within larger more expansive studies of related topics. The entries are organized into regional subcategories. Together with the foundation volume, over 6,000 entries are provided, making this an important addition to any libraries with Jewish Studies or journalism collections.

The first novel written and published in English by an American Jewish woman Published serially in the spiritualist journal Banner of Light in 1860, Cosella Wayne: Or, Will and Destiny is the first coming-of-age novel, written and published in English by an American Jewish woman, to depict Jews in the United States and transforms what we know about the history of early American Jewish literature. The novel never appeared in book form, went unmentioned in Jewish newspapers of the day, and studies of nineteenth-century American Jewish literature ignore it completely. Yet the novel anticipates many central themes of American Jewish writing: intermarriage, generational tension, family dysfunction, Jewish-Christian relations, immigration, poverty, the place of women in Jewish life, the nature of romantic love, and the tension between destiny and free will. The narrative recounts a relationship between an abusive Jewish father and the rebellious daughter he molested as well as that daughter’s struggle to find a place in the complex social fabric of nineteenth-century America. It is also unique in portraying such themes as an unmarried Jewish woman’s descent into poverty, her forlorn years as a starving orphaned seamstress, her apostasy and return to Judaism, and her quest to be both Jewish and a spiritualist at one and the same time. Jonathan Sarna, who introduces the volume, discovered Cosella Wayne while pursuing research at the Israel Institute for Advanced Studies in Jerusalem. This edition is supplemented with selections from Cora Wilburn’s recently rediscovered diary, which are reprinted in the appendix. Together, these materials help to situate Cosella Wayne within the life and times of one of nineteenth-century American Jewry’s least known and yet most prolific female authors.

Jacob Neusner was a prolific and innovative contributor to the study of religion for over fifty years. A scholar of rabbinic Judaism, Neusner regarded Jewish texts as data to address larger questions in the academic study of religion that he helped to formulate. Jacob Neusner on Religion offers the first full critical assessment of his thought on the subject of religion. Aaron W. Hughes delineates the stages of Neusner's career and provides an overview of Neusner's personal biography and critical reception. This book is essential reading for students and scholars interested in Neusner specifically, or in the history of Religious Studies, Jewish Studies, and philosophy of religion more broadly.