Knowledge (XXG)

Jewish polemics and apologetics in the Middle Ages

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251:"Book of Joseph the Official" of rabbi Joseph ben Nathan (13th century) which presents among other arguments a conversation between a Christian, the 'Chancellor,' and two rabbis. For polemical and apologetic reasons, a wider interest in Christian theology and a desire to acquire the necessary linguistic tools (the study of Latin) seem to emerge during the 13th century. Other apologetic works include 430:, page 7, 2004. "I have used the term “polemics” broadly, not distinguishing between defensive thrusts, sometimes identified as apologetic, and attacks on the opposing faith. With regard to the distinction between those works intended for insiders and those for outsiders, I also use the inclusive term polemics, although I sometimes tend to call the latter missionizing or proselytizing works." 35:(from "defence") may be distinguished but may also be considered somewhat subjective. A smaller number of proselytizing text also exists intended to convert Christians, or more rarely Muslims, to Judaism. However, the vast majority of Jewish polemical literature was written in response to Christian polemical writings and with a permanent reference to Christian arguments. 805: 817: 456: 862:
ed. Michael A. Shmidman - 2007 "Furthermore, his theory of "two Yeshus" (which was advanced numerous times previously, both in the context of disputations23 and apparently sincerely by the Tosafot ha-Rosh) shows that he did not believe the derogatory passages in the about "Yeshu" referred to Jesus of
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According to Philippe Bobichon: "it is the permanent rooting in the historical reality that characterizes anti-Christian Jewish literature and distinguishes it from most anti-Jewish Christian writings. In all cases, without exception, this type of Jewish texts refer to a menace for the permanence of
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Chazan 2004 "While the obligation of the Jewish polemicist begins with rebutting Christian challenges, it does not end with such defensive maneuvers. The responsibility of medieval Jewish polemicists, as perceived by Joseph Kimhi, extends to identifying weaknesses in the opposing camp and bringing
596:
1972 "Fragments from the Cairo Genizah attest to the polemics directed in this period against the Samaritans, Christianity, and Islam, as well as Jewish schismatic sects, apparently from the beginning of the tenth century" cites J. Mann, Genizah Fragments of the Palestinian Order of Service (HUCA,
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TSMJ 10; Tubingen: Mohr 1996 p196 "When one thinks of a typical Ashkenazic polemic, one generally looks to a book such as Sefer Nizzahon Yashan, ... 8 A critical edition of Sefer Nizzahon Yashan, with English translation and notes, can be found in David Berger, The Jewish-Christian Debate in the
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2004 Page 37 "Both Jacob ben Reuben's Milhamot ha-Shem and Joseph Kimhi's Sefer ha-Berit begin with the Christian spokesman adducing a series of arguments to show that reason dictates the truth of Christianity. Once again, the Jewish participants in these dialogues assume a largely defensive
522: 475:
ed. Geoffrey Wigoder - 1989, p. 68, "Apologetics and Polemics ... when Jewish writers sought to defend Judaism against the criticisms of Hellenism and paganism. Two noted works were Philo's Apology on behalf of the Jews and Against Apion by the historian Josephus, who vindicated the Jewish
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Yossef Schwartz, Volkhard Krech 2004 Page 240 "At the same time, however, the Qur'an defined for the Muslim polemist the areas of polemical activity, which differed for Judaism and for Christianity. In general, the disagreement with Judaism was limited to the charge of altering the..
507:
ed. Jeremy Cohen Page 448 1991 "Further, R. Tarfon regards these Jewish Christians as worse than idolaters; for while a pagan might embrace the new faith, it was a great source of frustration that Jews, raised in the traditions of Judaism, would have done so as
580:(London, England) page 176 "... obvious reluctance to polemicize against other Islamic tenets while exercising no such restraint vis-a-vis Christianity, it would seem that the discussion of naskh should be seen in the context of Saadya's anti-Christian polemic." 562:
Page 66 Ruth Langer - 2011 "These commonalities extend as well to the rabbinic discussions about the prayer and to many elements of the Christian polemics and Jewish apologetics that emerge in the late medieval world, particularly as national boundaries become
172:, Christianity, and Islam, as well as Jewish sects, from the early 10th century. Both Jews and Christians under Islam were careful in criticism of, or proselytizing to, their host's religion, in response to Muslim proselytizing of Jews and Christians. 777:) 1993 p103 "The Sefer Nizzahon Vetus begins with a quite brief introduction where God's help is invoked. After this, the text follows the order of the ... Presumably the Nizzahon Vetus was much used because of its manageable and systematic form." 790:
p94 2002 "This is illustrated clearly in an episode in Sefer Joseph Hamekane (Book of Joseph the Zealot, France, thirteenth century), recounting a conversation in Paris between the 'Chancellor' and two rabbis.29 The Christian claimed that from
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2003 "Magen va-Herev 's methodology and use of sources offer other clues regarding its target audience. Like other works designed to win hesitant converses over to Judaism, all the arguments in Magen va-Herev appeal to either Scripture
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Volume 1 - Page 342 Phyllis G. Jestice - 2004 "The book's subtitle, Kitab al-Hujja wa-al-Dalil fi Nasr al-Din al-Dhalil (The book of refutation and proof on behalf of the despised religion), identifies it as a work of religious
893:"Like Montalto, Saul Levi Morteira, the disciple who accompanied his master to Paris and who took his body to Amsterdam for burial, continued in this same polemical tradition of conducting a rational critique of Christianity." 228:"Book of the covenant" (c. 1150) follows Jacob ben Reuben's format of an apologetic response to Christian argument, but does not only refute Christian challenges, Kimhi also identifies weaknesses of Christian belief. 836: 204:"Wars of the Name" of Jacob ben Reuben (12th century) is an apologetic text against conversion by Christians, notable in that it contains questions and answers based on selected Hebrew translations of the Latin 697:
1998 Page 26 "By the twelfth century, when European Jews began to write polemical works, they had far more information, which made their task easier in some respects and more complex in others.
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Isidore Singer, Cyrus Adler "As to the two Hebrew standard works of New Testament criticism in the Middle Ages, written for apologetic purposes, the " Sefer Nizzahon " and the "Hizzuk Emunah,"
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Philippe Bobichon, "Littérature de controverse entre judaïsme et christianisme : Description du corpus et réflexions méthodologiques (IIe-XVIe siècle) (textes grecs, latins et hébreux)",
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Page 60 Adele Berlin, Maxine Grossman - 2011 "Later Jewish apologetics reasserted Judaism against Greek philosophy, Christianity, Islam (*Yehuda ha-Levi's Kuzari dealt with all three), "
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Saadia R. Eisenberg, “Reading Medieval Religious Disputation: The 1240 'Debate' Between Rabbi Yehiel of Paris and Friar Nicholas Donin” (Ph.D. diss., University of Michigan, 2008)
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them forcefully to the attention of Jewish readers. This aggressive thrust of medieval Jewish polemics is well documented in Sefer ha-Berit, and we shall cite this first of "
397: 24: 20: 134:"Life of Jesus" (7th century), although this does not follow the reasoned format of argument found in a true polemic or apologetic work. The earliest true polemic is the 461: 283:
A subcategory of apologetics in the late medieval period is found in necessary Jewish responses to highly dangerous Christian charges concerning material related to
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Page 60 ed. Adele Berlin, Maxine Grossman - 2011 "Jewish apologetics is less “apologetic” than the term indicates. Occasionally, too, Jews have gone on the attack."
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Joel E. Rembaum, The Influence of "Sefer Nestor Hakomer" on Medieval Jewish Polemics, in: Proceedings of the American Academy for Jewish Research, Vol. 45, (1978)
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as a source of inspiration for a Jewish polemicist.51 These Questions prove indeed that criticism of the scriptures was not foreign to the Medieval Jewish.."
523:« Persécutions, calomnies, ‘birkat ha-Minim’, et émissaires juifs de propagande antichrétienne dans le Dialogue avec Tryphon de Justin Martyr » 124:
During the Middle Ages many polemical texts originated outside Catholic Europe in lands where Jews and Christians were on an even footing as subjects of
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Tel-Aviv University. "Introductory words on the nature of polemics and apologetics - Josephus, admittedly, was not the first of the Jewish apologetics"
186:" (c 1120), subtitled "The book of refutation and proof on behalf of the despised religion," included apologetics to Islam alongside Christianity and 66: 70: 930: 774: 93: 925: 802:
Controverse judéo-chrétienne en Ashkenaz (XIIIe s.). Florilèges polémiques : hébreu, latin, ancien français (Paris, BNF Hébreu 712)
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Talya Fishman, "Changing Early Modern Jewish Discourse About Christianity: The Efforts of Rabbi Leon Modena", in David Joshua Malkiel
640: 214: 140:"The Book of Nestor the Priest" (c. 600 CE). The book represents itself as the arguments for Judaism of a former Christian (possibly 890: 935: 521:. VOLUME II : Commentaires, Appendices, Indices. Editions universitaires de Fribourg, 2003, vol. II; Cf. Philippe Bobichon, 97: 828:
See Philippe Bobichon's Hebrew text, French translation and analysis of the apologetic section of the Book of Principles :
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Citations latines de la tradition chrétienne dans la littérature hébraïque de controverse avec le christianisme (XIIe-XVe s.)
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and appears to have served as a precedent for the full Hebrew translation and interspersed commentary on Matthew found in
940: 577: 242: 543:
Daniel J. Lasker, "Jewish-Christian Polemics at the Turning Point: Jewish Evidence from the Twelfth Century", in:
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Shield and sword: Jewish polemics against Christianity and the Christians in France and Spain from 1000-1500
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Freethinkers of Medieval Islam: Ibn Al-Rāwandī, Abū Bakr Al-Rāzī, and Their Impact on Islamic Thought
300: 83: 352: 340: 284: 73:, mutual Jewish-Christian debate, polemics and apologetics occurred as for example in the words of 364: 62: 505:
Essential papers on Judaism and Christianity in conflict: from Late Antiquity to the Reformation
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Yosef Albo, Sefer ha-‘Iqqarim , III, 25 : Un chapitre de la controverse judéo-chétienne
628: 402: 288: 187: 152: 749: 348: 344: 260: 620: 558: 372: 296: 292: 268: 161: 883:
From polemics to apologetics: Jewish-Christian rapprochement in 17th Century Amsterdam
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Texts and Studies in Medieval and Early Modern Judaism 8. Tubingen: Mohr (Siebeck) (
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J. Rosenthal (ed.), Jacob b. Reuben, Milhamoth ha-Shem (Jerusalem, 1963), pp. 141-52
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position, although the Jewish defense is portrayed as spirited and convincing.1."
336: 332: 304: 252: 209: 144:) priest. The need for apologetics emerged as national boundaries were in flux. 113: 593: 32: 169: 695:
Jewish history and Jewish memory: essays in honor of Yosef Hayim Yerushalmi
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Defences of Judaism to Greek, Egyptian and Roman religionists are found in
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Contra Iudaeos: ancient and medieval polemics between Christians and Jews
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See Philippe Bobichon's commentaries and notes to his critical edition:
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is generally counted as covering Europe from the 5th to 15th centuries.
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Ph. Bobichon, A Bird's Eye View on the Jewish Anti-Christian Literature
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Jews in Europe began to write polemical works in the 12th century. The
28: 367:
continued in Montalto's tradition of conducting a rational polemical
183: 178: 147: 128:. Among the oldest anti-Christian texts with polemic intent is the 19:
were texts written to protect and dissuade Jewish communities from
315:"Shame of the Gentiles" (1375), Joseph Albo (mentioned above) and 125: 44: 245:'s 1405 polemical work) a "typical Ashkenazic polemic," and the 156:"Book of Belief and Opinions" (933) includes refutations of the 788:
Religious violence between Christians and Jews: medieval roots
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Josephus' Contra Apionem: studies in its character and context
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William Horbury Hebrew study from Ezra to Ben-Yehuda 1999 128
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Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society of America, 1979 in
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Latin-Into-Hebrew : Texts and Studies, I : Studies
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The Jews of medieval Islam: community, society, and identity
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Polemic and Apologetic Methods of Writing in Contra Apionem
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Fashioning Jewish identity in medieval western Christendom
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Holy people of the world: a cross-cultural encyclopedia
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in Paris until his death in 1611, among others such as
39:
Under the pre-Christian and Christianizing Roman Empire
525:, Revue des Études Juives 162 /3-4, 2003, pp. 403-419 408:
Christian polemics and apologetics in the Middle Ages
343:. Notable among apologetics of the 17th century was 607:
Religious apologetics - philosophical argumentation
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Proselytization and counter-proselytization of Jews
335:the religious landscape of Europe changed with the 488:Page 143 Louis H. Feldman, John R. Levison - 1996 71:Emperor Constantine’s legalization of Christianity 17:Jewish polemics and apologetics in the Middle Ages 164:'s arguments against the Jewish scriptures. The 860:Turim: Studies in Jewish History and Literature 691:Jewish-Christian Debate in the High Middle Ages 460:Judaism whose reality cannot be doubted." See: 379:"Shield and Sword", were designed to win back 65:authors. In the early centuries following the 8: 665:The Oxford Dictionary of the Jewish Religion 440:The Oxford Dictionary of the Jewish Religion 904:Lion shall roar: Leon Modena and his world 812:in R. Fontaine and G. Freudenthal (dir.), 557:Cursing the Christians?: A History of the 647:Page 204: "Joseph van Ess has suggested 519:Dialogue avec Tryphon, édition critique 419: 237:"The (old) Book of Victory" (in Latin 67:emergence of Christianity from Judaism 804:, Bibliothèque de l’EPHE, Paris,2015 7: 94:Dialogue of Athanasius and Zacchaeus 327:Renaissance and Counter-Reformation 241:, to distinguish from Prague rabbi 168:fragments include polemics against 816:, Leyde, Brill, 2013, pp. 349-390 14: 359:whose works were printed by the 160:, and more restrainedly against 98:Dialogue of Simon and Theophilus 453:Revue d’Histoire ecclésiastique 231:Around the same period are the 653:Questions concerning the Bible 545:The Harvard Theological Review 102:Dialogue of Timothy and Aquila 90:Dialogue of Jason and Papiscus 1: 547:, Vol. 89, No. 2 (Apr., 1996) 371:. Many polemical works, like 361:Jewish community of Amsterdam 275:"Faith strengthened" (1590). 259:"Book of Principles" (1420), 153:Kitab al-Amanat wal-I'tikadat 92:(2nd century), and the later 49:Apology on behalf of the Jews 833:dans l’Espagne du XVe siècle 287:, found in the responses of 267:"Light of the Lord" (1410), 578:Institute of Jewish Studies 473:The Encyclopedia of Judaism 957: 926:Jewish medieval literature 243:Yom-Tov Lipmann-Muhlhausen 21:conversion to Christianity 369:criticism of Christianity 756:High Middle Ages 2008 " 347:, personal physician to 309:Disputation of Barcelona 77:and, on the other side, 936:Medieval Jewish history 931:Jewish–Christian debate 848:The Jewish encyclopedia 765:Hanne Trautner-Kromann 455:107/1, 2012, pp. 5-48. 321:Disputation of Tortosa 279:Defences of the Talmud 835:, Madrid, CSIC, 2015 808:; Philippe Bobichon, 633:10.1163/9789004452848 590:Encyclopaedia Judaica 363:. Montalto's student 248:Sefer Joseph Hamekane 234:Sefer Nizzahon Yashan 137:Sefer Nestor Ha-Komer 31:(from "battles") and 786:Anna Sapir Abulafia 726:The medieval crusade 724:Susan Janet Ridyard 301:Disputation of Paris 84:Dialogue with Trypho 800:Philippe Bobichon, 357:Vindiciae Judaeorum 353:Menasseh ben Israel 341:Counter-Reformation 285:Jesus in the Talmud 100:(5th century), and 941:Jewish apologetics 365:Saul Levi Morteira 194:In Catholic Europe 63:Hellenistic Jewish 627:. Leiden: Brill. 206:Gospel of Matthew 201:Milhamoth ha-Shem 158:Christian Trinity 61:as well as other 948: 910: 900: 894: 879: 873: 870: 864: 857: 851: 845: 839: 826: 820: 798: 792: 784: 778: 763: 757: 746: 740: 736: 730: 722: 716: 713: 707: 704: 698: 687: 681: 674: 668: 662: 656: 646: 617: 611: 604: 598: 587: 581: 570: 564: 554: 548: 541: 535: 532: 526: 515: 509: 502: 496: 483: 477: 470: 464: 449: 443: 437: 431: 424: 403:Jews for Judaism 289:Yechiel of Paris 257:Sefer Ha-Ikkarim 188:Greek philosophy 179:Kitab al Khazari 956: 955: 951: 950: 949: 947: 946: 945: 916: 915: 914: 913: 901: 897: 880: 876: 871: 867: 858: 854: 846: 842: 827: 823: 799: 795: 785: 781: 764: 760: 750:Guy G. Stroumsa 747: 743: 737: 733: 723: 719: 714: 710: 705: 701: 688: 684: 675: 671: 663: 659: 643: 621:Stroumsa, Sarah 619: 618: 614: 605: 601: 588: 584: 571: 567: 555: 551: 542: 538: 533: 529: 516: 512: 503: 499: 484: 480: 471: 467: 450: 446: 438: 434: 425: 421: 416: 389: 349:Maria de Medici 345:Elijah Montalto 329: 281: 261:Chasdai Crescas 196: 122: 110: 104:(6th century). 96:(4th century), 41: 25:rarely to Islam 12: 11: 5: 954: 952: 944: 943: 938: 933: 928: 918: 917: 912: 911: 895: 881:Ralph Melnick 874: 865: 852: 840: 821: 818:online article 793: 779: 758: 741: 731: 717: 708: 699: 682: 669: 657: 642:978-9004315471 641: 612: 599: 582: 565: 559:Birkat Haminim 549: 536: 527: 510: 497: 478: 465: 457:online article 444: 432: 426:Robert Chazan 418: 417: 415: 412: 411: 410: 405: 400: 395: 388: 385: 377:Magen va-Herev 373:Leon of Modena 331:Following the 328: 325: 297:Judah of Melun 293:Moses of Coucy 280: 277: 269:Isaac of Troki 239:Nizzahon vetus 226:Sefer ha-Berit 195: 192: 162:Hiwi al-Balkhi 121: 118: 109: 106: 40: 37: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 953: 942: 939: 937: 934: 932: 929: 927: 924: 923: 921: 909: 905: 899: 896: 892: 891:9789023217923 888: 884: 878: 875: 869: 866: 861: 856: 853: 849: 844: 841: 838: 834: 831: 825: 822: 819: 815: 811: 807: 803: 797: 794: 789: 783: 780: 776: 775:3 16 145995 4 772: 768: 762: 759: 754: 751: 745: 742: 735: 732: 727: 721: 718: 712: 709: 703: 700: 696: 692: 689:Berger David 686: 683: 680:apologetics." 678: 673: 670: 666: 661: 658: 654: 650: 649:Hiwi al-Balhi 644: 638: 634: 630: 626: 622: 616: 613: 608: 603: 600: 595: 591: 586: 583: 579: 575: 572:Daniel Frank 569: 566: 561: 560: 553: 550: 546: 540: 537: 531: 528: 524: 520: 514: 511: 506: 501: 498: 494: 491: 487: 482: 479: 474: 469: 466: 463: 458: 454: 448: 445: 441: 436: 433: 429: 423: 420: 413: 409: 406: 404: 401: 399: 396: 394: 391: 390: 386: 384: 382: 378: 374: 370: 366: 362: 358: 354: 350: 346: 342: 338: 334: 326: 324: 322: 318: 317:Astruc HaLevi 314: 313:Profiat Duran 310: 306: 302: 298: 294: 290: 286: 278: 276: 274: 273:Hizzuk emunah 270: 266: 262: 258: 254: 250: 249: 244: 240: 236: 235: 229: 227: 223: 219: 217: 216: 211: 207: 203: 202: 193: 191: 189: 185: 182:"Book of the 181: 180: 175: 171: 167: 166:Cairo Genizah 163: 159: 155: 154: 149: 145: 143: 139: 138: 133: 132: 131:Toledot Yeshu 127: 119: 117: 115: 107: 105: 103: 99: 95: 91: 88:and the lost 87: 85: 80: 79:Justin Martyr 76: 72: 69:, but before 68: 64: 60: 59: 58:Against Apion 54: 50: 46: 38: 36: 34: 30: 26: 22: 18: 908: 903: 898: 882: 877: 868: 859: 855: 847: 843: 832: 829: 824: 813: 809: 801: 796: 787: 782: 766: 761: 752: 744: 734: 725: 720: 711: 702: 694: 690: 685: 676: 672: 664: 660: 652: 624: 615: 606: 602: 589: 585: 573: 568: 556: 552: 544: 539: 530: 518: 513: 504: 500: 492: 490:Aryeh Kasher 485: 481: 472: 468: 452: 447: 439: 435: 427: 422: 393:Tovia Singer 376: 356: 355:, author of 330: 311:(1263), and 282: 272: 264: 256: 246: 238: 232: 230: 225: 222:Joseph Kimhi 220: 218:(c. 1385). 213: 199: 197: 177: 174:Judah Halevi 151: 146: 135: 129: 123: 111: 82: 75:Rabbi Tarfon 56: 48: 42: 27:. The terms 16: 15: 837:online book 806:online text 748:Ora Limor, 337:Reformation 333:Renaissance 305:Nachmanides 253:Joseph Albo 210:Ibn Shaprut 120:Under Islam 114:Middle Ages 108:Middle Ages 33:apologetics 920:Categories 885:1981 - 95 594:Cecil Roth 414:References 215:Touchstone 176:'s Arabic 170:Samaritans 23:, or more 863:Nazareth. 592:Volume 3 381:conversos 265:Or Adonai 142:Nestorian 623:(1999). 387:See also 323:(1413). 307:at the 303:(1240), 53:Josephus 29:polemics 319:at the 299:at the 184:Khazars 889:  773:  639:  597:1925). 295:, and 148:Saadia 51:, and 576:1995 126:Islam 45:Philo 887:ISBN 771:ISBN 637:ISBN 563:..." 339:and 112:The 791:.." 651:'s 629:doi 508:.." 375:'s 271:'s 255:'s 224:'s 212:'s 150:'s 81:'s 47:'s 922:: 907:or 635:. 383:. 291:, 263:' 190:. 55:' 645:. 631:: 610:" 476:" 86:,

Index

conversion to Christianity
rarely to Islam
polemics
apologetics
Philo
Josephus
Against Apion
Hellenistic Jewish
emergence of Christianity from Judaism
Emperor Constantine’s legalization of Christianity
Rabbi Tarfon
Justin Martyr
Dialogue with Trypho
Dialogue of Jason and Papiscus
Dialogue of Athanasius and Zacchaeus
Dialogue of Simon and Theophilus
Dialogue of Timothy and Aquila
Middle Ages
Islam
Toledot Yeshu
Sefer Nestor Ha-Komer
Nestorian
Saadia
Kitab al-Amanat wal-I'tikadat
Christian Trinity
Hiwi al-Balkhi
Cairo Genizah
Samaritans
Judah Halevi
Kitab al Khazari

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