The collection of Hebrew, Arabic and Jewish manuscript material that was deposited in the Cairo Genizah as early as a thousand years ago is of major significance for our understanding of all aspects of life in the medieval Mediterranean world. This volume presents a selection of papers from the third congress of the Society for Judaeo-Arabic Studies: after introductory material by the editors, it ranges over a wide area of Judaeo-Arabic language and literature, giving the reader a clear impression of recent research in the field. Among the topics covered are the early grammarians, translators and commentators; newly discovered texts of poetry, liturgy and legend; and the religious differences between Jews, Muslims and Christians. The various activities of the Maimonides family naturally attract attention; there are studies of contemporary medicine and magic; and an explanation is offered of Jewish trilingualism. As well as presenting the most recent research in this area, the essays offer a unique insight into the medieval symbiosis of Jewish and Arabic culture. They will be of interest not only to scholars in these areas, but also to those interested in medieval history and philosophy, oriental folklore and medicine.

Forms the first part of a project to classify and describe the Arabic portion of the Genizah Collection.

Publisher Description

In this book, Christoph Ochs presents for the first time an extensive study of the use of the Gospel of Matthew in Jewish polemics. These often overlooked texts advance numerous exegetical arguments against Jesus' divinity, the incarnation, and the Trinity. Seven Jewish polemical key texts comprise the main sources for this inquiry: Qissat Mujadalat al-Usquf (c. 8/9th century) and Sefer Nestor ha-Komer (before 1170), Sefer Milhamot ha-Shem (c. 1170), Sefer Yosef ha-Meqanne (c. 13th century), Nizzahon Vetus (13-14th century), Even Bohan (late 14th century), Kelimmat ha-Goyim (c. 1397), and Hizzuq Emunah (c. 1594). Together with the relevant passages in the original Hebrew and in translation, each text is presented with a historical and exegetical introduction. Contemporary parallels are also discussed, but in less detail. The result is a compendium of arguments against the divinity of Jesus based on the Jewish interpretation of Matthew.

Provides the first comprehensive overview by world-renowned experts of what we know today of medieval Jews' engagement with the sciences.