Sepharad in Ashkenaz: Medieval Knowledge and Eighteenth-Century Enlightened Jewish Discourse

by Irene E. Zwiep (Editor), Resianne Fontaine (Editor), Andrea Schatz (Editor)

Medieval Sephardi literature was a catalytic presence in the Jewish intellectual landscape of the eighteenth century. In Sepharad in Ashkenaz , a celebrated group of contributors provides the first, comprehensive evaluation of the medieval Sephardi canon in the Ashkenazi world. These essays explore the introduction of Sephardi texts into Jewish discourse, the Ashkenazi reception of the Sephardi masters, and the resulting literary innovations that forever changed Jewish scholarship. Through a series of case studies and analyses of works by Maimonides, Spinoza, and Kant, among others, this volume unravels an intricate diasporic network that led to Jewish modernity.

280 pages, Paperback

First published February 15, 2007