Illustration of the judgment of Solomon in a Jewish prayer book from 1320
Throughout the Middle Ages, Jews lived in various diaspora communities, in foreign lands under both Muslim and Christian rule. Biblical scholar and historian Gary A. Rendsburg explores such communities in Egypt, Italy, England, and Spain—all well documented with historical evidence, including financial records, tomb inscriptions, biblical manuscripts, and more.
At times, Jews flourished in these foreign lands, though at other times anti-Jewish fervor resulted in massacres, expulsions, and ghettoization. Rendsburg surveys both the highs and the lows in his examination of Jewish life in the medieval era.
Rendsburg serves as the Blanche and Irving Laurie Chair in Jewish History and is distinguished professor in the department of Jewish studies at Rutgers University.
10–11:15 a.m. From Córdoba to Cardamon: The World of the Cairo Geniza
During the 1890s the contents of the Cairo Geniza, the storeroom of the Ben Ezra Synagogue built ca.1000 in Fustat (Old Cairo), came to the attention of scholars in England and elsewhere. The discoveries constituted a revolution in the field of Jewish studies. In the end, 300,000 documents (mostly in Hebrew, but in other languages as well) emerged from the dusty attic space, including old Torah scroll sheets, bridal trousseau lists, records documenting the spice trade with India, Maimonides’s own drafts of his legal and philosophical works, and—perhaps most remarkably of all—the memoir of an Italian monk who had converted to Judaism. In sum, every aspect of medieval Jewish life, from the sacred to the mundane, is revealed through the study of the fascinating Cairo Geniza documents.
11:30 a.m.–12:45 p.m. From Rome to the Renaissance: 1500 Years of Jewish Life in Italy
Jews were present in ancient Rome even before the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 C.E. A wealth of archaeological evidence attests to their presence in Italy for the following centuries. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the Jewish community continued to prosper, as Italy became a center for Jewish scholarly pursuits throughout the Middle Ages. These activities included the creation of important manuscripts of the Mishna, the Talmud, and other major works—including several written by the female scribe Paola bat Avraham. Eventually, with the invention of the printing press during the Renaissance, Italian Jews led the way in creating the first printed Hebrew books. The result is 1500 years of uninterrupted contribution to Jewish life, history, and culture.
12:45–1:15 p.m. Break
1:15 –2:30 p.m. The Jews of Medieval England
Jews first arrived in England on the invitation of William the Conqueror, soon after 1066. For the next 200-plus years they both prospered and endured harsh treatment within the realm of Christendom. Rendsburg surveys both ends of the spectrum. Among the highlights is evidence for the sale of land by Jacob the Jew to Walter de Merton for the establishment of Merton College, Oxford. The lowlights include the evidence for the first blood libel in Norwich in 1144, the massacre at York in 1190, and eventually the expulsion of the Jews under Edward I in 1290.
2:45 –4 p.m. The Kennicott Bible: The Crown Jewel of Medieval Spanish Jewry
The Kennicott Bible, housed at the Oxford’s Bodleian Library, is one of the most magnificent medieval Hebrew manuscripts, expertly written by a skillful scribe and beautifully illuminated by an ingenious artist. What makes the manuscript even more remarkable is that it was written in 1476, just 16 years prior to the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492, in the wake of the Alhambra Decree of Ferdinand and Isabella. Rendsburg focuses on the bible’s creation and traces the later history of this precious document, including the story of how it arrived at Oxford in the 18th century.
General Information
