God, humanity, and history : the Hebrew First Crusade narratives / Robert Chazan.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Chazan, Robert.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Jews--Germany--History--1096-1147--Sources.

Jews.

Jews--Persecutions--Germany--History--Sources.

Jewish martyrs--Germany--Biography--Sources.

Jewish martyrs.

Crusades--First, 1096-1099--Sources.

Crusades.

Germany--Ethnic relations--Sources.

Germany.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (284 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Berkeley, CA : University of California Press, c2000.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Although closely focused on the remarkable Hebrew First-Crusade narratives, Robert Chazan's new interpretation of these texts is anything but narrow, as his title, God, Humanity, and History, strongly suggests. The three surviving Hebrew accounts of the crusaders' devastating assaults on Rhineland Jewish communities during the spring of 1096 have been examined at length, but only now can we appreciate the extent to which they represent their turbulent times. After a close analysis of the texts themselves, Chazan addresses the objectives of the three narratives. He compares these accounts with earlier Jewish history writing and with contemporary crusade historiography. It is in their disjuncture with past forms of Jewish historical narration and their amazing parallels with Latin crusade narratives that the Hebrew narratives are most revealing. We see how they reflect the embeddedness of early Ashkenazic Jewry in the vibrant atmosphere of late-eleventh- and early-twelfth-century northern Europe.

Contents:

Front matter

Contents

Preface

Prologue: The Time-Bound and the Timeless in Medieval Ashkenazic Narrative

1. The Hebrew First Crusade Narratives

2. The Mainz Anonymous: Structure, Authorship, Dating, and Objectives

3. The Solomon bar Simson Chronicle: The Editorial Prologue and Epilogue

4. The Solomon bar Simson Chronicle: The Speyer-Worms-Mainz Unit

5. The Solomon bar Simson Chronicle: The Trier and Cologne Units

6. The Eliezer bar Nathan Chronicle

7. The Hebrew First Crusade Narratives: Time-Bound Objectives

8. The Historicity of the Hebrew Narratives

9. The Hebrew First Crusade Narratives: The Timeless

10. God, Humanity, and History

11. Comparative Dimensions: The 1096 Narratives and Classical Jewish Tradition

12. Comparative Dimensions: The 1096 Narratives and Their Medieval Setting

Epilogue

Appendix: The Hebrew First Crusade Narratives: Prior Studies on Relationships and Dating

Abbreviations

Notes

Bibliography

Index

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 257-262) and index.

Description based on print version record and CIP data provided by publisher; resource not viewed.

ISBN:

9780520923959

0520923952

9781597346375

1597346373

OCLC:

56087243