John Edwards, John Edwards - The Jews in Western Europe 1400-1600 (Manchester Medieval Sources)

This work traces the experience of Jews in Europe during the vital and turbulent period from 1400-1600. As European politics, society, economy and religion underwent epoch-making changes, the treatment of Europe's Jews by the non-Jewish majority was, then as in later periods, a symptom of social problems and tensions in the Continent as a whole. Through a broad-ranging collection of documents, this book sets out to present a vivid picture of the Jewish presence in European life. Subjects covered include the Jews' own economic presence and culture, social relations between Jews and Christians, as well as the policies and actions of Christian authorities in Church and State. The author also draws upon original source material to convey popular Christian prejudices about Jews, including myths about Jewish "devilishness", money-grabbing and "ritual murder" of Christian children. This volume aims to provide a coherent working collection of texts for lecturers, teachers and students who wish to understand the experience of Jewish Europeans in this period. Full introductory and explanatory material also makes accesible the historical context of the subject and highlights the insights offered by the documents, as well as the pitfalls to be avoided in this area of historical enquiry.