Download PDF | Wolfram Drews - The Unknown Neighbour_ The Jew in the Thought of Isidore of Seville (Medieval Mediterranean, No. 59) (2006).
400 Pages
PREFACE
This monograph is a revised and enlarged version of my dissertation thesis, which in 2001 appeared under the title “Juden und Judentum bei Isidor von Sevilla. Studien zum ‘Traktat De fide catholica contra Iudaeos” (Berlin, Duncker & Humblot; Berliner Historische Studien 34). I am grateful to Mr Julian Deahl from Brill Academic Publishers who expressed his interest in an English version and to the editors of the Medieval Mediterranean series for their kind acceptance of this proposal. I tried to condense the German text, taking some more recent publications into consideration and adding a chapter on possible theoretical approaches to the subject under discussion. For their suggestions, hints and constructive criticism I wish to thank Raul Gonzalez Salinero and Jacques Elfassi.
INTRODUCTION
Isidore of Seville, the “teacher of the middle ages” and “last of the church fathers”,! was raised to the dignity of a teacher of the church in 1722. During the European middle ages his importance was largely due to his monumental encyclopaedia (etymologiae or origines) and to the sententiae, a kind of theological summa, which included a theory of Christian kingship.’ Isidore’s relationship to classical culture has been the object of numerous studies; this is also true for his historiographical writings. By contrast, his theological works have attracted much less attention, especially regarding their originality. This monograph will focus mainly on one of his theological texts, the treatise on Catholic faith against the Jews, first analyzing Isidore’s exegetical methods, and later setting the results of his exegesis into the context of his theological and political views.
Isidore’s significance is also due to his activities as the leading bishop of the Spanish church at the 4" council of ‘Toledo in 633, which made far-reaching decisions on different matters, one of which was the attitude of the church towards Jewish converts who had been baptized against their will during the reign of King Sisebut. Isidore has often been regarded as a friend, associate and close collaborator of this king, even though the latter often made his political decisions, including those touching upon ecclesiastical matters, without seeking clerical advice. This was also the case with his violent dealings with the Jews of his kingdom.
A fresh look at Isidore’s attitude towards both the king and his antiJewish policies starts with an analysis of his treatise de fide catholica contra Iudaeos, dedicated to his sister Florentina; the purpose of this work, consisting of two books, has never been satisfactorily explained. This text continues the tradition of Christian literature written against the Jews, but it is the oldest of such works written on Iberian soil that has been transmitted with the author’s name. In his numerous historiographical and exegetical works Isidore made additional statements that may help to elucidate his positions on Jews and Judaism.
Scholars have interpreted the anti-Jewish treatise either as a misslonary work, written to convince the Jews of Christian truth,’ or as a pamphlet of propaganda meant to combat them.* Others adopt the view that it was written both for Jews and for Christians, principally to render the latter “immune” against alleged missionary efforts on the part of the former.’ This study intends to question theses hypotheses on the basis of an analysis of the foundations of Isidore’s argument, which will be put into the context of both his entire literary output and of the political and social situation of his time.
Isidore’s great renown during the middle ages provided the basis for a reception of his positions in texts written during the following centuries.° His treatise de fide catholica was one of the most influential ones in the middle ages; numerous manuscripts have come down to us especially from the early and high medieval period. The number of manuscripts decreased only when anti-Jewish polemicists started to take the Talmud and rabbinic literature into consideration in the later middle ages; since Isidore said nothing in this respect, the usefulness of his ceuvre declined in the eyes of later readers.
Already in the early middle ages the text was read and copied inside and outside Spain. Parts of the first book were translated into Old High German in the 8" century, being the oldest known translation from Latin into German. Around 750 Alanus of Farfa compiled his collection of sermons per circulum ann, for which he used chapters 18-50 out of the first book of Isidore’s anti-Jewish treatise. Visigothic authors such as Ildefonse and Julian of Toledo used Isidore’s text, quoting from it in their anti-Jewish works (de perpetua virginitate sanctae Mariae contra tres infideles and de comprobatione sextae aetatis). In the early Islamic period the Jewish convert Paulus Alvarus of Cérdoba may have used Isidore’s text in his correspondence with Bodo-Eleazar, a former chaplain of emperor Louis the Pious, who had converted to Judaism.
Until the high middle ages Isidore’s treatise remained one of the most important sources for authors of anti-Jewish works. In the early 12" century it was included in the Leber floridus, a collection of excerpts compiled to form an illustrated encyclopaedia covering various fields of knowledge and culture. It is important to note that it did not fall into oblivion after the discovery of rabbinic literature by Christian theologians.’ Pope Benedict XIII, who was instrumental in staging the Christian-Jewish disputation of Tortosa in 1413/14 and eager to convert Aragonese Jews and Muslims to Christianity,® owned a theological library whose catalogue has been preserved. Alongside high medieval anti-Jewish works such as Raymund Martini’s pugio fide: it also included a copy of Isidore’s de fide catholica. Because of its high standing, the first book (liber Ysidon contra Iudeos) was printed in two editions prior to 1500, which means that the anti-Jewish stereotypes reproduced by Isidore had an impact right through the entire middle ages until the early modern period. An analysis of this treatise and of the historical context from which it originated may help to understand and explain the roots of traditions that were influential from antiquity until modernity.
Previous investigators have advanced contradictory views on Isidore’s relationship to Judaism. Schreckenberg stressed his generally friendly stance, which would only rarely have been interrupted by moments of hostility. By contrast, Albert denounced Isidore as a staunch enemy of the Jews, whose alleged intention was to eradicate Judaism altogether. Numerous scholars have limited their analysis to an interpretation of the introductory passages of his treatise against the Jews, without taking the whole argument, let alone the context, into consideration.°® Superficial judgements highlighting Isidore’s alleged linguistic competence can make no contribution towards clarifying the aim and effectiveness of his argument.'°
An analysis of the treatise de fide catholica has to start with an investigation of the question which version of the biblical text is used as the basis for the argument, since both the scope of the biblical canon and the authority of different translations were hotly debated between Jews and Christians in antiquity. Second, it is important to establish the sources; a comparison with earlier works belonging to the corpus of the so-called adversus ludaeos-literature will clarify the extent of the author’s originality.
When addressing Isidore’s attitude towards the Jews it is essential to take into account his relationship to Arianism and other heterodox groups within Christianity. In addition, one has to look at his relationship to Jewish contemporaries. Are there any hints that he knew rabbinic sources (if those had reached Spanish soil at all by the 7 century)? In what way does he present the preparation for baptism and the period of the catechumenat? Does this help to clarify his position towards forced baptism?
The importance of Augustine and Gregory the Great for Isidore’s thinking has been stressed repeatedly. Therefore it is essential to com-pare his views on Jews and Judaism, both in the treatise de fide catholica and in his other writings, to their positions. The results of this systematic and comparative analysis will finally provide the basis of an exposition of Isidore’s political views with regard to the place of the Jews in Christian Visigothic society.
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