In the Wake of the Barcelona Disputation

The Barcelona disputation of 1263 was both a dramatic confrontation and a significant milestone in the Church's innovative missionizing program. The Jewish spokesman at this disputation, Rabbi Moses ben Nahman of Gerona, bore heavy responsibility for the formulation and presentation of an adequ...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Hebrew Union College annual / Jewish Institute of Religion
Main Author: Chazan, Robert Leon 1936-2024 (Author)
Format: Print Article
Language:English
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Published: College 1990
In: Hebrew Union College annual / Jewish Institute of Religion
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains:B Judaism / Middle Ages
RelBib Classification:BH Judaism
TE Middle Ages
Parallel Edition:Electronic
Description
Summary:The Barcelona disputation of 1263 was both a dramatic confrontation and a significant milestone in the Church's innovative missionizing program. The Jewish spokesman at this disputation, Rabbi Moses ben Nahman of Gerona, bore heavy responsibility for the formulation and presentation of an adequate Jewish rebuttal to the new missionizing thrusts. The rabbi's responsibilities extended beyond the confrontation itself. In the wake of the disputation, Nahmanides composed a number of works intended to reinforce the confidence of his fellow Jews in the face of the new assault. Two purportedly post-1263 Nahmanidean compositions are examined in this paper. The first, his famous sermon "Torat Ha-Shem Temimah," although often described as the sermon delivered in the synagogue of Barcelona in the wake of the disputation, upon close examination shows no real relation to the issues raised during the famed public encounter. The second, a careful exegesis of the Servant-of-the-Lord passage in Isaiah, was clearly occasioned by the Christian missionizing argumentation and represents an effort on the part of the Ramban to reassure his Jewish readers that the Christian understanding of this critical passage is thoroughly erroneous.
ISSN:0360-9049
Contains:In: Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, Hebrew Union College annual / Jewish Institute of Religion