Chapter I: Front Matter

HISTORY OF THE JEWS

HISTORY OF THE
JEWS

BY
PROFESSOR H. GRAETZ

VOL. III

FROM THE REVOLT AGAINST THE ZENDIK (511 C. E.) TO
THE CAPTURE OF ST. JEAN D'ACRE BY THE
MAHOMETANS (1291 C. E.)

PHILADELPHIA

THE JEWISH PUBLICATION SOCIETY OF AMERICA

COPYRIGHT, 1894,
BY THE JEWISH PUBLICATION SOCIETY OF AMERICA.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

THE DECAY OF JUDÆA, AND THE JEWS IN DISPERSION.

The Zendik Religion--King Kobad and Mazdak the Reformer--Revolt
of the Jews--Mar-Zutra--Revival of the Schools--The Saburaïm--
The Talmud committed to writing--Tolerance of Chosru II--The
Christianization of Judæa--The Jews under Byzantine Rule--
Justinian--Persecution of the Samaritans--Benjamin of Tiberias
--Attack on Tyre--The Emperor Heraclius _page_ 1

500-628 C. E.

CHAPTER II.

THE JEWS IN EUROPE.

Growth of the Jews in Europe--The Communities in Constantinople
and Italy--Theodoric--Isidore of Seville--Pope Gregory I--The
Jews of France--Chilperic and Dagobert--Avitus--The Jews in
Spain--Controversies between Jews and Christians _page_ 24

510-640 C. E.

CHAPTER III.

THE JEWS OF THE ARABIAN PENINSULA.

Happy condition of the Jews in Arabia--Traditions as to their
original settlements--Yathrib and Chaibar--The Jewish-Arabic
tribes--The Benu-Nadhir, the Benu-Kuraiza, and Benu-Bachdal--
The Benu-Kainukaa--The Jews of Yemen--Their power and
influence--Conversion of Arabian tribes to Judaism--
Abu-Kariba, the first Jewish-Himyarite king--Zorah Dhu-Nowas--
Samuel Ibn-Adija--Mahomet--His indebtedness to Judaism--
Mahomet's early friendliness to the Jews and subsequent breach
with them--His attacks on the Jewish tribes--The War of the
Fosse--The position of the Jews under the Caliphs _page_ 53

500-662 C. E.

CHAPTER IV.

THE AGE OF THE GEONIM.

The Conquests of Islam--Omar's Intolerance--Condition of the
Jews in Babylonia--Bostanaï--The Princes of the Captivity
and the Geonim--Dignity and Revenues of the Prince--Communal
Organization--Excommunication--Julian of Toledo and the Jews--
The Moslems in Spain--The Jews and Arabic Literature--The
Assyrian Vowel-system--The Neo-Hebraic Poetry: José ben José--
Simon ben Caipha--Employment of Rhyme--Jannaï--Eleazar Kaliri
--Opposition to the Study of the Talmud--The False Messiah
Serenus, the Syrian--The Jews in the Crimea and the Land of
the Chazars--The False Messiah Obadia Abu-Isa _page_ 86

640-760 C. E.

CHAPTER V.

RISE OF KARAISM AND ITS RESULTS.

Anan ben David, the founder of Karaism--His life, writings,
and influence--Hostility to the Talmud--Anan's innovations--
Karaite reverence of Anan--The Exilarchate becomes elective--
Adoption of Judaism by the Chazars--King Bulan and Isaac
Sinjari--Bulan's Jewish successors--Charlemagne and the Empire
of the Franks--The Jews and Commerce--Jewish Envoy sent to the
Caliph Haroun Alrashid--Spread of the Jews in Europe--The
Caliphs and the Jews--The study of philosophy--Sahal--The
Kalam--Mutazilists and Anthropomorphists--Judah Judghan--The
_Shiur Komah_--The Akbarites--Moses the Persian _page_ 127

761-840 C. E.

CHAPTER VI.

FAVORABLE CONDITION OF THE JEWS IN THE FRANKISH DOMINIONS,
AND THE DECAY OF THE EXILARCHATE IN THE EAST.

The Jews under Louis le Débonnaire--The Empress Judith
and her Veneration for Judaism--Agobard, Bishop of Lyons--
Conversion of Bishop Bodo--Amolo's effort against the Jews--
Charles the Bald--Troubles in Béziers and Toulouse--Decree
against the Jews in Italy--Boso of Burgundy--Basilius--Leo the
Philosopher--Decline of the Exilarchate--The Geonim acquire
Additional Influence--The Prayer Book of Amram--Mar-Zemach--
Literary and Scientific Activity of the Jews--Decay of Karaism
--Dissensions at Pumbeditha _page_ 160

814-920 C. E.

CHAPTER VII.

THE GOLDEN AGE OF JEWISH SCIENCE: SAADIAH AND CHASDAÏ.

Judaism in the Tenth Century--Saadiah, the Founder of Religious
Philosophy--Translation of the Bible into Arabic--Saadiah
opposes Karaism--The Karaite Solomon ben Yerucham--Saadiah and
the School at Sora--Saadiah retires from Sora--His Literary
Activity--Extinction of the Exilarchate--Sahal and other
Karaite writers--Jews in Spain--The School at Cordova--Dunash
ben Tamim--Chasdaï--His services to Judaism--Menachem ben
Saruk--Chasdaï and the King of the Chazars _page_ 187

928-970 C. E.

CHAPTER VIII.

THE RISE OF JEWISH-SPANISH CULTURE, AND THE DECAY OF
THE GAONATE.

The Gaon Sherira and his son Haï--Sherira's Historical Letter
--The Jewish Congregations in Spain--Jewish Culture in
Andalusia--The Disciples of Menachem and Dunash--Jehuda Chayuj
--Contest between Chanoch and Ibn-Abitur--Jacob Ibn-Jau--The
Jews of France--Nathan the Babylonian and Leontin--The Jews of
Germany--Gershom and his Ordinances--The Emperor Henry II--The
Caliph Hakem--The Jewish Communities of Northern Africa--
Chananel, the Son of Chushiel, and Nissim bar Jacob Ibn Shahin
--The Jerusalem Talmud--Haï Gaon--His Character and Importance
--Samuel bar Chofni--Chiskiya, the Last Gaon--Samuel
Ibn-Nagrela--Jonah Ibn-Janach _page_ 231

970-1050 C. E.

CHAPTER IX.

IBN-GEBIROL AND HIS EPOCH.

Solomon Ibn-Gebirol--His early life--His poems--The statesman
Yekutiel Ibn-Hassan befriends him--Murder of Yekutiel--Bachya
Ibn-Pakuda and his moral philosophy--The Biblical critic
Yizchaki ben Yasus--Joseph ben Chasdaï, the Poet--Death of
Samuel Ibn Nagrela--Character of his son Joseph and his tragic
fate--Death of Ibn-Gebirol--The French and German communities
--Alfassi--Life and works of Rashi--Jewish scholars in Spain
--King Alfonso _page_ 265

1027-1070 C. E.

CHAPTER X.

THE FIRST CRUSADE.

The position of the Jews in Germany previous to the Crusades--
The community of Speyer and Henry IV--The Martyrs of Treves
and Speyer--Emmerich of Leiningen and the Martyrs of Mayence--
Cruel persecutions at Cologne--Suffering of the Jews in
Bohemia--Pitiful death of the Jews of Jerusalem--Emperor
Henry's justice towards the Jews--Return of Converts to
Judaism--Death of Alfassi and Rashi _Page_ 297

1096-1105 C. E.

CHAPTER XI.

ZENITH OF THE SPANISH-JEWISH CULTURE: JEHUDA HALEVI.

The Jews under the Almoravides--Joseph Ibn-Sahal, Joseph
Ibn-Zadik--Joseph Ibn-Migash--The Poets Ibn-Giat, Ibn-Abbas,
Ibn-Sakbel and Ibn-Ezra--Abulhassan Jehuda Halevi--His Poems
and Philosophy--The Chozari--Incidents of his Life--Prince
Samuel Almansur--Jehuda Halevi's Pilgrimage to Jerusalem--
His Death _page_ 311

1105-1148 C. E.

CHAPTER XII.

PERSECUTIONS DURING THE SECOND CRUSADE AND UNDER
THE ALMOHADES.

Condition of the Jews in France--The Second Crusade--Peter the
Venerable and the Monk Rudolph--Bernard of Clairvaux and the
Emperor Conrad--Protectors of the Jews--Persecutions under the
Almohades--Abdulmumen and his Edict--The Prince Jehuda
Ibn-Ezra--The Karaites in Spain--Jehuda Hadassi--The historian
Abraham Ibn-Daud and his Philosophy--Abraham Ibn-Ezra--Rabbenu
Tam _page_ 347

1143-1170 C. E.

CHAPTER XIII.

SURVEY OF THE EPOCH OF MAIMUNI (MAIMONIDES).

The Jews of Toledo--Ibn-Shoshan, Ibn-Alfachar--The Poet
Charisi--Sheshet Benveniste--Benjamin of Tudela--The Jews of
Provence--The Kimchis--The Communities of Béziers,
Montpellier, Lünel, and Toulouse--Persecutions of Jews in
Northern France--The Jews of England--Richard I--The Jews of
York--The Jews of Germany--Ephraim ben Jacob--Süsskind--
Petachya the Traveler--The Jews of Italy and of the Byzantine
Empire--Communities in Syria and Palestine--The Jews of Bagdad
--Mosul--The Pseudo-Messiah, David Alroy--The Jews of India--
Conversion to Judaism of Tartars--The Jews of Egypt _page_ 382

1171-1205 C. E.

CHAPTER XIV.

MAIMUNI (MAIMONIDES).

Early years of Maimuni (Maimonides)--His journey to Fez--Letter
of Consolation of Maimun (father of Maimonides)--Maimuni and
the Jewish Converts to Islam--The Maimun Family in Palestine
and Egypt--Maimuni's Commentary on the Mishna--Saladin and the
Jews--Letter of Maimonides to Yemen--The _Mishne-Torah_ of
Maimuni--Controversies with reference to this Work--Joseph
Ibn-Aknin--Maimuni as a Physician--Maimuni attacked by Samuel
ben Ali--Maimuni and the Jews of Provence--The _More Nebuchim_
and its importance--Death of Maimonides _page_ 446

1171-1205 C. E.

CHAPTER XV.

NEW POSITION OF THE JEWS IN CHRISTIAN LANDS AT THE
BEGINNING OF THE THIRTEENTH CENTURY.

Effects of the Death of Maimuni--Abraham Maimuni, the son of
Maimuni--Hostility of the Papacy against the Jews--Pope
Innocent III--The Albigenses--Emigration of Rabbis to
Palestine--The Lateran Council and the Jewish Badges--Synod of
Rabbis at Mayence--The Dominicans and the Rise of the
Inquisition--King Jayme of Aragon and his Physician Benveniste
--Stephen Langton and the Jews of England--Gregory IX and
Louis IX of France--The Jews of Hungary _page_ 494

1205-1232 C. E.

CHAPTER XVI.

THE MAIMUNIST CONTROVERSY AND THE RISE OF THE
KABBALA.

The Opposition against Maimuni--Maimunists and anti-Maimunists
--Meïr Abulafia--Samson of Sens--Solomon of Montpellier--
Excommunication of the Maimunists--David Kimchi's energetic
Advocacy of Maimuni--Nachmani--His Character and Work--His
Relations to Maimuni, Ibn-Ezra, and the Kabbala--Solomon of
Montpellier calls in the aid of the Dominicans--Moses of Coucy
--Modern date of the Kabbala--Azriel and Ezra--Doctrines of
the Kabbala--Jacob ben Sheshet Gerundi--The Bahir--Three
Parties in Judaism--Last flicker of the Neo-Hebraic Poetry--
The Satirical Romance: Al-Charisi and Joseph ben Sabara
_page_ 522

1232-1236 C. E.