Medieval Jewish History
Alanna E. Cooper
Fall 2012
course overview
This brief course spans a vast segment of Jewish history; from the emergence of Rabbinic Judaism in late antiquity to the stirrings of Messianism that swept across the Jewish world in seventeenth century. Over the course of these thousand years, the Jews – once a sovereign nation in their own land - scattered across the globe through migrations, trade, and expulsions. We will trace their movements, focusing on the ways in which they preserved their religion and their sense of belonging to a common people, while also responding in creative ways to the great variety of environments in which they found themselves. In studying this segment of history, we will also explore how the past can help to make sense of the Jewish world in the present.
BLOG: ON THE RELEVANCE OF MEDIEVAL JEWISH HISTORY
SCHEDULE OF SESSIONS
Click on each topic below. Links provide an overview and reading list for each session.
- Introduction
- History and Memory
- Baghdad Center
- Karaite Challenge to Rabbinic Authority
- Poetry: A Framework to Study Jewish Life in Muslim Spain
- Living as Jews among Muslims
- Living as Jews among Christians
- A Diaspora People: Far-Reaching Community Ties (11/15)
- The Land of Israel (11/29)
- Legal Codes (12/6)
- Philosophy and Mysticism (12/13)
- Messianism (1/3)
