Esther in medieval garb : Jewish interpretation of the book of Esther in the Middle Ages /
Barry Dov Walfish.
- Albany : State University of New York Press, (c)1993.
- 1 online resource (xiv, 386 pages) : illustrations
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- SUNY series in Judaica .
OldControl:muse9781438423074. Revision of the author's thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Toronto, 1983.
Includes bibliographies and index.
Front Matter -- Half Title Page -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Dedication Page -- Table of Contents -- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS -- ABBREVIATIONS -- INTRODUCTION -- Content -- THE WORK OF THE EXEGETE -- JEWISH SOURCES FOR EXEGESIS -- NON-JEWISH SOURCES FOR EXEGESIS -- LITERARY CONCERNS -- THEOLOGICAL ISSUES -- THE WORLD OF THE EXEGETE -- PERSIA THROUGH EUROPEAN EYES: GEOGRAPHY, ARCHITECTURE, CUSTOMS, AND INSTITUTIONS -- JEWISH-GENTILE RELATIONS AND JEWISH ATTITUDES TO GENTILES AS REFLECTED IN THE COMMENT ARIES THE STATE OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE IN THE DIASPORA: PERCEPTIONS OF ANTISEMITISMTHE ROYAL COURT -- THE JEWS AND THE MONARCHY:THE ROLE OF AHASUERUS IN THE BOOK OF ESTHER -- CONCLUDING REMARKS -- APPENDIX I: THE EXEGETES OF THE BOOK OF ESTHER: A BIO-BIBLIOGRAPHICAL SURVEY WITH TEXTUAL EXCURSUSES -- APPENDIX III: IMMANUEL OF ROME AND DANTE ON THE DIFFERENTIATION OF LANGUAGES AND THE DATING OF IMMANUEL'S COMMENTARY ON THE BOOK OF ESTHER -- Back Matter -- NOTES -- BIBLIOGRAPHY -- OTHER PRIMARY SOURCES -- SECONDARY SOURCES -- INDEXES -- Subject Index
Annotation Drawing on many commentaries that exist only in manuscript, and that have not previously been known or studied, explores the role of the Book of Esther in the intellectual and cultural life of Jews during the Middle Ages. Walfish (Jewish studies, U. of Toronto) surveys the Jewish and non-Jewish sources for exegesis and explains literary and theological issues, then shows how the story appeared in such contexts as the European perceptions of Persia, Jewish-Gentile relations, antisemitism, and the royal court. The apparatus includes bio-bibliographies of the exegetes, bibliographies of printed and manuscript medieval commentaries, and, among the indexes, those of scriptural citations and of manuscripts by depository libraries. Paper edition (unseen), 23.95. Annotation copyright by Book News, Incorporated, Portland, OR.