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History 282

History 282. Medieval Intellectual & Spiritual Trends. Two Worlds. Babylonian via North Africa to Spain Palestinian via Italy to Central Europe and later to the East Overlap. Jewish & Outside Cultures. Islamic world High cultural level in the cities

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History 282

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  1. History 282 Medieval Intellectual & Spiritual Trends

  2. Two Worlds • Babylonian via North Africa to Spain • Palestinian via Italy to Central Europe and later to the East • Overlap

  3. Jewish & Outside Cultures • Islamic world • High cultural level in the cities • Elements of openness under the impact of philosophy • Language is shared; cultural competition • Moses ibn Ezra in southern Spain (d. 1138?)

  4. Jewish & Outside Cultures (2) • Christian world • General level is lower until 12th/13th century • Culture is clerical • Language is Latin

  5. Jews and the Outside • Both opportunity and challenge • Translation • Role as intermediary

  6. Islamic world • Polemic against Christianity and Islam force Jews towards “rationalism” • Access to Arabic translations of Greek philosophical classics • Saadia 882–942: • First autonomous system since Philo • Sefer Emunot ve-Deot (Beliefs & Opinions) • Both reason and faith are in text • Commandments: intellectual and authoritarian

  7. Grammar and Language • Importance of grammar • Menahem ibn Saruk • Dunash ibn Labrat • Jewish poetry • Piyut and secular (Samuel ibn Naghrela) • Moses ibn Ezra (theoretical treatis) • Judah ha-Levi (1086–1145) • Makama (Judah al-Harizi) (1165-1234)

  8. The Mirror • Into my eyes he lovingly looked, My arms about his neck were twined, And in the mirror of my eyes, What but his image did he find? • Upon my dark-hued eyes he pressed His lips with breath of passion rare. The rogue! 'Twas not my eyes he kissed; He kissed his picture mirrored there. • Judah ha-levi

  9. My Heart is in the East • My heart is in the east, and I in the uttermost west. How can I find savor in food? How shall it be sweet to me? How shall I render my vows and my bonds, while yet Zion lieth beneath the fetter of Edom, and I in Arab chains? • A light thing would it seem to me to leave all the good things of Spain - Seeing how precious in mine eyes to behold the dust of the desolate sanctuary.

  10. Al-Harizi • Maqama • Competition with Al-Hariri (Mahbarot Iti’el) leads to independent production (Takhkemoni)

  11. Moses Maimonides • 1135-1204 • Cordoba, Spain to Fostat, Egypt • Systematization of Halakha • Mishneh Torah (significance of the title) • Systematization of halakha • Integration of intellectualist elements • Moreh Nevukhim (Guide to the Perplexed) • Audience • Challenge to Isolationist Thinking • Parable of the Palace

  12. Ashkenazi Europe • Definition • Transfer of culture via Italy • Kalonymids • Development of Learning • RaSHI (Rabbi Solomon ben Isaac) 1040-1105 • Parshandata; cumulative • Teacher in a book

  13. Tosafists • Jacob b. Meir (Rabenu Tam) c. 1100-1171 • System of jurisprudence

  14. Hasidut Ashkenaz • Mystical traditions • Small number of families (elitist) • Emphasis on morality

  15. Exegesis • Drash vs Pshat blurred • Literary approach • Rationalist vs non-Rationalist is a question of aims

  16. Abraham Ibn Ezra • I. Truth is the center; commentary is the circumference • II. Truth is the center and they imagine they’re there (Karaites) • III. Path of darkness (mystical; non-rational) • IV. Near the Center; Midrash taken literally • V. grammar-based; rational; traditional

  17. Nahmanides • Polemic relation with Rashi and Ibn Ezra • Adds kabbala

  18. Isaac Abravanel • Intellectual investigation is serious business; dangerous • Aristotelian justification for messianic speculation

  19. Zohar • Moses de Leon • Rejects the literal

  20. Collapse of the Medieval • Challenges from the outside • World created by invasions and rigidly split by religious affiliation will be disrupted by invasion (Berbers into Spain 11th & 12th cen.; Christian crusaders from late 11th cent. In Spain and the East) [as well as Mongols; Turks; etc.] • Demographic pressures; migrations; as well as natural growth; Black Death

  21. Collapse of the Medieval • Challenges from Within • Urban growth challenges Jews’ place • Shift to moneylending • Religious Reform -- institutional and doctrinal

  22. Expulsions • Migration patterns to the north and east • Accelerated by expulsions; England 1290; France 1304+; Spain 1492 • Forced conversions -- S. Italy, Aragon, Castille, Portugal • Social-economic and religious factors; greater emphasis on homogeneity

  23. Invention of New Centers • Poland • Ottoman Turkey (fall of Istanbul 1453; Salonika 1478) • Opens the way to Land of Israel • Safed • New larger, multi-ethnic communities; new forms of organization

  24. Conversos • Mass conversions in Spain from 1391 • Purity of blood 1455 Toledo • Inquisition 1478 • State, not Papal • Portuguese 1536 • Irrelevant to Jews • Problem for Spain

  25. Returning Jews • Are they Jewish? • Requirement ot convert • Bring new ideas and relativist approach • Amsterdam: Orobio di Castro, Uriel d’Acosta, Benedict Spinoza, • Venice: Samuel Aboab • Boundaries are tenuous; concepts are mixed (e.g. circumcision and baptism)

  26. Messianic Reaction • Ottoman success seems to point to messianic era • Religious excitement in Safed (Smicha) • New forms of Kabbalistic thought • Isaac Luria (ARI)

  27. Sabbetai Zevi • Greatest messianic movement in Jewish history • Informed by kabbalistic ideology; redemption through sin (Scholem) • Zevi’s conversion 1666 & its aftermath • Survival groups • Question kehila authority? • Did this lead to modernity? Tune in…

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