Barcelona and Beyond

The Disputation of 1263 and Its Aftermath

Robert Chazan

• Publisher: University of California Press
• Year: 2023
• ISBN:
  9780520911321
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Teologia e religione
• Subtopic: Teologia ebraica

In late July 1263 a public disputation was convened by King James I of Aragon, pitting Friar Paul Christian against the distinguished rabbi of Gerona, Moses ben Nahman. Organized by leading figures in the Dominican Order to give Friar Paul an opportunity to test his innovative missionizing argumentation against a worthy opponent, the spectacle in Barcelona was colorful, impressive, surely somewhat frightening to the Jews, and ultimately indecisive. Both sides claimed victory, and their documented claims have given rise to substantial disagreement among historians over the tone and outcome of this important event. Robert Chazan's masterly analysis reconstructs the Barcelona disputation from the conflicting Christian and Jewish sources and sets it in its broad historical context, with particular attention to the post-disputation maneuvers on both sides. His richly detailed account focuses on Rabbi ben Nahman's eloquent efforts to reassure his fellow Jews in the face of new missionizing pressures. This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press's mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1994.
In late July 1263 a public disputation was convened by King James I of Aragon, pitting Friar Paul Christian against the distinguished rabbi of Gerona, Moses ben Nahman. Organized by leading figures in the Dominican Order to give Friar Paul an opportunity

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• Preface
• Introduction
• Setting and Dramatis Personae
• The Disputation of 1263
• The Aftermath of the Disputation: Broad Perspectives
• The Narrative Account of Rabbi Moses ben Nahman
• The Issue of Rabbinic Aggadah
• Explication of the Servant of the Lord Passage
• Messianic Redemption: Certain and Predictable
• Epilogue
• Appendix: Rabbi Moses ben Nahman, Bonastrug de Porta, and Astrug de Porta
• Notes
• Bibliography
• Index