Chapter 18 - The Sources

Summary

This chapter contains an overview of the sources which are used to write a history of Jewish spiritual and intellectual accomplishments in the Christian Middle Ages. The subjects covered are: Bible and commentaries; Talmud and law, including exegesis, codes, monographs and responsa; theology, including philosophy and mysticism; liturgy and poetry; interreligious polemic; science and medicine; chronicles; and translations. These literary sources were written across medieval Europe from Iberia to Germany to Italy and represent the varied faces of Jewish culture. This short survey indicates that many factors went into the making of this intellectual heritage, both external and internal, and it is because of these many factors that that heritage is so multifaceted and diverse. Preservation of these Jewish intellectual accomplishments has been difficult in the modern era because of Jewish assimilation and acculturation to the wider society, including secularization. Nevertheless, modern Judaism has emerged out of medieval Judaism, so many of these works are still studied and remain sources of inspiration.