Au moment où Charlemagne se fait couronner empereur d'Occident, où l'Empire chrétien de Byzance étend ses conquêtes jusqu'à la Russie, où le grand khalife de Bagdad propage la foi en Allah..., quelque part entre les monts du Caucase et l'embouchure de la Volga, un royaume se convertit au judaïsme : c'est le début de l'extraordinaire aventure des Khazars.. . Mille ans plus tard, l'écrivain Marc Sofer se lance à la découverte de cette fascinante énigme que sont les Khazars. Pourquoi ces guerriers de la steppe ont-ils décidé d'être juifs ? Et pourquoi, après trois cents ans de puissance et de prospérité, ont-ils été littéralement " effacés " de l'Histoire ? Son enquête le mène à Bakou, capitale pétrolière de la mer Caspienne, et le précipite au cœur d'une très contemporaine intrigue politique et criminelle...

Part historical, part modern thriller.

The Jews of Khazaria chronicles the history of the Khazars, a people who, in the early Middle Ages, founded a large empire in eastern Europe (located in present-day Ukraine and Russia). The Khazars played a pivotal role in world history. Khazaria was one of the largest-sized political formations of its time, an economic and cultural superpower connected to several important trade routes. It was especially notable for its religious tolerance, and in the 9th century, a large portion of the royal family converted to Judaism. Many of the nobles and commoners did likewise shortly thereafter. After their conversion, the Khazars were ruled by a succession of Jewish kings that began to adopt the hallmarks of Jewish civilization, including the Torah and Talmud, the Hebrew script, and the observance of Jewish holidays. In this thoroughly revised edition of a modern classic, The Jews of Khazaria explores many exciting new discoveries about the Khazars' religious life, economy, military, government, and culture. It builds upon new studies of the Khazars, evaluating and incorporating recent theories, along with new documentary and archaeological findings. The book gives a comprehensive accounting of the cities, towns, and fortresses of Khazaria, and features a timeline summarizing key events in Khazar history.

This book, by one of the foremost authorities on the subject, explores the complex nature of Russian nationalism. It examines nationalism as a multilayered and multifaceted repertoire displayed by a myriad of actors. It considers nationalism as various concepts and ideas emphasizing Russia’s distinctive national character, based on the country’s geography, history, Orthodoxy, and Soviet technological advances. It analyzes the ideologies of Russia’s ultra-nationalist and far-right groups, explores the use of nationalism in the conflict with Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea, and discusses how Putin’s political opponents, including Alexei Navalny, make use of nationalism. Overall the book provides a rich analysis of a key force which is profoundly affecting political and societal developments both inside Russia and beyond.

Presents an encyclopedia of Jewish culture from 1973 to 2005, including secular and religious examples from the visual arts, literature, and popular culture.