by hadassah | Apr 7, 2008 | Early Modern Period
Jewish Population-Overview On the eve of our period, much of western Europe had already lost its Jews, following expulsions from England, France, the Low Countries, and certain German lands. The greatest and most notorious expulsion came when Spain’s Jews were...
by hadassah | Apr 7, 2008 | and Literature, Philosophy, Science
Science, Philosophy, and Literature For the most part, early modern Jews had limited access to the great ferment in science, thought, and letters in European life in this period. As it was for the rest of the European world as well, access was in any case...
by hadassah | Apr 7, 2008 | Jews, Reformation and the Counter-Reformation
Jews, the Reformation and the Counter-Reformation Reformation In the early stages of his break with Rome, Martin Luther seemed to make a stark break with prevalent attitudes about Jews. In a treatise written in 1523, he depicted the Jews as models of common...
by hadassah | Apr 7, 2008 | and Learning, Gender, Women
Women, Gender, and Learning While Jewish learning was the domain of a few educated men, women too had their part, limited as it might have been. Most works for “women and unlearned men” were penned by men, and there are few early modern texts by women – among...
by hadassah | Apr 7, 2008 | Shabbatai Zvi and Sabbateanism
Shabbatai Zvi and Sabbateanism Of far greater impact was the messianic movement that arose around Shabbetai Zvi (1626-1672). In fact, in its scope and intensity the so-called Sabbatian movement has no parallel in Jewish history. It drew its strength from...
by hadassah | Apr 7, 2008 | Early Modern Period, History-writing
History-writing The sixteenth century brought with it a surge in Jewish historical writing. For the most part, as Yosef Hayim Yerushalmi has pointed out, Jews tended to preserve historical memories through legends and rituals. And in fact, in the medieval...
