Most studies of Jews in medieval England begin with the year 1066, when Jews first arrived on English soil. Yet the absence of Jews in England before the conquest did not prevent early English authors from writing obsessively about them. Using material from the writings of the Church Fathers, contemporary continental sources, widespread cultural stereotypes, and their own imaginations, their depictions of Jews reflected their own politico-theological experiences.

The thirteen essays in Imagining the Jew in Anglo-Saxon Literature and Culture examine visual and textual representations of Jews, the translation and interpretation of Scripture, the use of Hebrew words and etymologies, and the treatment of Jewish spaces and landmarks. By studying the "imaginary Jews" of Anglo-Saxon England, they offer new perspectives on the treatment of race, religion, and ethnicity in pre- and post-conquest literature and culture.

"Samantha Zacher has assembled an array of solidly researched and enlightening essays from an impressive range of scholars. This collection maps out new territory in our study of the representation of Jews in Anglo-Saxon England. It is a serious advancement in state-of-the-art research." -- Mary Clayton, School of English, Drama and Film, University College Dublin

About the Author
Samantha Zacher is a professor of English and medieval studies at Cornell University.

Reviews

'This impressive collection has a great deal to offer a variety of readers, both in the breadth of its material and the range of its approaches.

-- Renee R. Trilling * Speculum vol 93:01:2018 *

"Imagining the Jew in Anglo-Saxon England reveals the complexity, variety, and profound significance of early medieval discourse on Jews and, by demonstrating how thoroughly such discourse pervaded Christian thought, points out productive methods for interpreting Anglo-Saxon literature and art."

-- Emily V. Thornbury, University of California at Berkeley * Journal of English and Germanic Philology, vol 118:1 *



Book Information
ISBN 9781442646674
Author Samantha Zacher
Format Hardback
Page Count 376
Imprint University of Toronto Press
Publisher University of Toronto Press
Weight(grams) 700g
Dimensions(mm) 229mm * 165mm * 25mm