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Internet Medieval Sourcebook
Selected Sources: Medieval Jewish Life
Contents
General
- WEB Internet Jewish History
Sourcebook
- WEB Jewish Virtual Library [Internet Archive backup here]
- WEB Footprints: Jewish Books through Time and Place [Internet Archive backup here]
traces the history and movement of Jewish books since the inception of print.
- Jewish Daily Life in Medieval Northern Europe, 1080-1350: A Sourcebook ed, Tzafrir Barzilay, Eyal Levinson, Elisheva Baumgarten 2022 PDF [At TEAMS/WMU] [Internet Archive version here]
This is an entire 200 plus
page book of translations into English of primary sources. Open Access.
- Claudia Rapp and Johannes Prieser-Kapeller, eds.. Mobility and Migration in Byzantium; A Sourcebook [At Vr-elibrary.de] PDF [Internet Archive version here]
Five hundred pages of translations into English on sources about migration in Byzantium. Includes both internal migration, and sections on Jews, Slavs, Armenians, Varangians (Norse), Catalans, Turks, and in relation to the Crusades. Gender-related migration is also covered.
Jewish Communities and
Individuals
- A Rabbinic Responsum: The Shabbat Goy
- Khazaria
- In Islam
- In Christian Iberia
- Benjamin of Tudela (1160-1173): The Itinerary of Benjamin of Tudela Critical Text, Translation and Commentary by Marcus Nathan Adler.
- Jewish Community of Barcelona: The Book of
Document Forms, 13th century, trans. Elka Klein
- Gerald of Wales: Two Cistercian Monks
turn Jews, before 1200
- Royal Grants to the Jewish Community of Barcelona,
1241-1271, trans. Elka Klein
- Reciting the Grace after Meals: The Status of
Jewish Women, from Berakhot, chap. 7, trans. Elka Klein
- Barcelona Jewish Court Documents: A Daughter's
Inheritance, 1293, trans. Elka Klein
- Barcelona Jewish Court Documents: A Jewish Widow and
her Daughter, 1261-1262, trans. Elka Klein
- Sentencia-Estatuto de Toledo, 1449, trans Kenneth Baxter Wolf [At Canilup] [Internet Archive version here]
This text, from Toledo in 1449, is the earliest known reference to Jewish blood , as opposed to Jewish beliefs and rituals (judaizing), being held against Christian conversos in Spain. It marks the formalisation of the theoru of purity of blood, or limpieza de sangre.
- In France/Germany
- Relations Between Christians and Jews
Jewish Economic Activity
Jews and the State
- Roman Empire
- Islam
- Christian Iberia
- The Jews of Spain
and the Visigothic Code, 654-681
- Álvaro of Córdoba: Exchange of Letters with Eleazar the Jew trans
by Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi, from Annales Bertiniani 839 CE. [At Aymennjawad.org] [Internet Archive version here]
Eleazar was a convert to Judaism, and he was originally a Catholic clergyman of Germanic origin called Bodo.
- Jews and Christians in Teruel: The Fuero of Teruel,
1176 CE
Excerpts from the Fuero, or urban ordinance.
- The Siete Partidas: Concerning Jews,
1265.
- Jewish Views of Royal Monetary
Policy in Aragon, 13th Century, trans. Elka Klein.
- Ordinance of the Jews of the Crown of
Aragon, 1354 CE
This ordinance or takkanah was the product of an increased sense of Jewish
vulnerability in the years after the Black Death (1348).
- Synod of Castilian Jews, 1432
Ordinances from assembly of the Jews of the kingdom of Castile at Valladolid in
1432.
- The Expulsion from
Spain, 1492
Account by an Italian Jew.
- France/Germany
- England
Jewish Intellectual and
Religious Life
- WEB Post Biblical Judaism [Online Course-U Alberta] [Internet Archive backup here]
- WEB Sefaria
Sefaria is home to 3,000 years of Jewish texts.A non-profit organization offering free access to texts, translations, and commentaries
.
- WEB Jewish Views of Jesus a
page with more texts. [Internet Archive backup here]
- Toledoth
Yeshu, A sixth-century Jewish (negative) account of Jesus. [At UPenn].[Internet Archive version here]
- The Babylonian Talmud in Selection,
by Leo Auerbach [At Sacred Texts] [Internet Archive backup here]
- Medieval Hebrew featuring THE MIDRASH
[At Sacred Texts] [Internet Archive backup here]
- Page from the Babylonian
Talmud [At Calgary] [Internet Archive version here]
- Bava Metzia 59b:1, "The Oven of Akhnai"
An significant text from the Talmud which makes in clear that God has given the Torah, which is no longer in Heaven, and so it is the responsibility of the rabbis to interpret it
- Wikipedia: Karaite Judaism
- Sepher Yetzirah
[or Sefer Yatzira], translated from the Hebrew by Wm. Wynn Westcott, PDF [At Public Library UK] [Internet Archive version here]
The Sepher Yetzirah is one of the most famous of the ancient Qabalistic texts. It was
first put into writing around 200 C.E. Westcott's Translation was first published in 1887.
- Judah Ha-Levi (ca 1075-1141): The Kuzari, also known as
The Book of Argument and Proof in Defense of the Despised Faith (Kitab al
Khazari). Or here [Wikisource]
The entire first book of the Kuzari, a philosophical treatise written by the
Spanish Jewish philosopher and poet, Judah Ha-Levi. It is written in the form of a
dialogue, purportedly between the king of the Khazars and the representatives of various
belief systems, culminating with a rabbi.
- Maimonides: The Guide for the Perplexed trans M. Friedländer (1903)
[At Sacred Texts] [Internet Archive backup here]
- Maimonides (Rabbi Moses ben Maimon, or Rambam): The
Thirteen Principles of Judaism.
- Maimonides: The 613 Mitzvot.
- Maimonides: The Laws and Basic Principles
of the Torah.
- Maimonides: The Laws Concerning Mashiach,
Chapters 11 & 12 of Hilchos Melachim from the Mishneh Torah of the Rambam.
- Maimonides: Oath of Maimonides.
- The Hypertext Halacha.[At Project
Genesis/torah.org]
A translation of the Shulchan Aruch and Mishna Berurah. An excellent source
for the details of Jewish religious law.
Anti-Semitism
- WEB Christian-Jewish Relations [Jewish Virtual Library] [Internet Archive backup here]
- Race in the Middle Ages: Texts for Discussion
A selection of primary sources from the 8th to the 15th century of relevance to discussions of race in the middle ages.
- Legislation Affecting the Jews, 300 to 800
CE
Index to Roman, Western and canonical laws
- Professions of Faith Extracted from Jews on Baptism,
Visgothic and Byzantine
- Prayers for Making a Synagogue into a
Church, in Latin.
From the Liber Sacramentorum Romanae Ecclesiae
- Socrates Scholasticus: The Blood Libel in Syria,
(late 4th century).
- Byzantine Liturgy for Good Friday.
This is a current English translation. It shows how the very negative Christian message
that Jews were "Christ-killers" was conveyed to the people - through the liturgy
of the churches. Latin Catholic Good Friday services were just as anti-Semitic, although
it has now been reformed. This aspect of Christian liturgy made Holy Week an extremely
dangerous time for Jews thoughout Christian-majority lands.
- John Chrysostom (c.347-407): Homilies Against the
Jews
- Justinian I: Novella 146: On Jews
- Antiochus Strategos: The Sack of Jerusalem, 614.
An example of Byzantine Antisemitism, and a version of the Blood libel.
- Agobard of Lyon: On the Insolence of the Jews To
Louis the Pious, trans. William L. North, 826/827
- Agobard of Lyon: On the Baptism of Slaves
Belonging to Jews (to Adalard, Wala, and Helisachar), trans. William L. North
- Agobard of Lyons (9th Century): On Being Wary of Eating and Associating with Jews
Ca. 826/827 trans William North. PDF [At Carleton] [Internet Archive version here]
Abp. Agobard to Nibridius, Bp. of Narbonne, warning of the dangers of associating with Jews in an attempt to enlist the support of the regional episcopacy in his cause.
- Ralph Glaber (d.c.1044): The Year 1000 AD from the
Miracles de Saint-Benoit, discusses early 11th century anti-semitism.
- Soloman bar Samson: The Crusaders in Mainz,
1096, written in mid 12th century.
- Shlomo Eidelberg: The Jews And The Crusaders: The Hebrew Chronicles of the First and Second Crusades (1977) full text [At Internet Archive] or local copy [Text marked at IA as public domain]
-Translated full texts of: The Chronicle of Solomon bar Simson; The Chronicle of Rabbi Eliezer bar Nathan; The Narrative of the Old Persecutions, or Mainz Anonymous; Sefer Zekhirah, of The Book of Remembrance of Rabbi Ephraim of Bonn. See Wikipedia: Rhineland Massacres
- Gerald of Wales: Barnacle Geese Should
Convince the Jew of the Immaculate Conception, 1188
- The Abbey of St. Edmund’s and the Jews,
1173-1182
- Peter of Blois: Against the Perfidy of the
Jews , before 1198
- Thomas of Monmouth: The Life and Miracles of
St. William of Norwich, 1144, excerpts.
One of the major accusations against Jews of the charge that they killed Christian
children. This blood-libel was the center of a number of saint's cults. See the Catholic
Encylopedia [1913] article William
of Norwich for much background information. [Note that this article, while rejecting
the Ritual Murder and Blood Libels, does end by suggesting that some of the cases were
based on real incidents.]
- WEB Image and
Story of Anderl von Rinn: A Blood Libel Saint, supposedly 1462, in fact 17th century.
An image from Rinn showing the ritual murder of Anderl von Rinn. This file also contains
many links to other "blood libel" information.
- Ephraim ben Jacob: The Ritual Murder Accusation at Blois,
May, 1171.
- Roger of Hoveden: Persecution of Jews Following
Coronation of Richard I, 1189.
- Ephraim of Bonn: On the York Massacre of 1189-90.
- Innocent III: Letter on the Jews:
toleration, 1199.
- Innocent III: Constitution for the Jews - toleration,
1199.
- The Fourth Lateran Council: Canon - on
Jews.
- Gregory IX: Letter on the Jews - against Talmud [r.1227-1241], copyrighted
- Gregory X (r.1271-1276): Letter on the
Jews.
- Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274): Letter to Margaret of Constantinople, Countess of Flanders on Christian Treatment of Jews (1270-1272)
- Martin V: From Declaration on Protection for the Jews,
1419.
- Sentencia-Estatuto de Toledo, 1449, trans Kenneth Baxter Wolf [At Canilup] [Internet Archive version here]
This text, from Toledo in 1449, is the earliest known reference to Jewish blood , as opposed to Jewish beliefs and rituals (judaizing), being held against Christian conversos in Spain. It marks the formalisation of the theoru of purity of blood, or limpieza de sangre.
- Anti-Semitic Legends,
Translated and/or edited by D. L. Ashliman, [Was At Pitt, now Internet Archive]
- Martin Luther (1483-1546): Luther Before 1517: Letters to Spalatin
These letters are interesting in showing Luther's atitude towards Rome and towards
theology. They also reveal that Luther's hatred of Jews, best seen in his 1543 letter, was
not some affectation of old age, but was present very early on.
- "On The Jews and Their Lies", a treatise by Martin Luther (translated by Martin H. Bertram, Luther's Works, Vol. 47: The Christian In Society IV, ed. by Franklin Sherman (c) 1971
Fortress Press, pages 121-306)
NOTES: copyrighted means the text is not available for free distribution. Links to files at other site are indicated by [At some indication of the site name or
location]. No indication means that the text file is local. WEB indicates a link to one of
small number of high quality web sites which provide either more texts or an especially
valuable overview.
The Internet Medieval Sourcebook is part of the Internet History Sourcebooks Project. The Internet History Sourcebooks Project is located at the History Department of Fordham University, New York. The Internet
Medieval Sourcebook, and other medieval components of the project, are located at
the Fordham University Center
for Medieval Studies.The IHSP recognizes the contribution of Fordham University, the
Fordham University History Department, and the Fordham Center for Medieval Studies in
providing web space and server support for the project. The IHSP is a project independent of Fordham University.
Although the IHSP seeks to follow all applicable copyright law, Fordham University is not
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© Site Concept and Design: Paul Halsall created 26 Jan 1996: latest revision 20 Oct 2025 [CV]
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