Most studies of Jews in medieval England begin with the year 1066, when Jews first arrived on Eng... more 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.
The Bible played a crucial role in shaping Anglo-Saxon national and cultural identity. However, a... more The Bible played a crucial role in shaping Anglo-Saxon national and cultural identity. However, access to Biblical texts was necessarily limited to very few individuals in Medieval England. In this book, Samantha Zacher explores how the very earliest English Biblical poetry creatively adapted, commented on and spread Biblical narratives and traditions to the wider population. Systematically surveying the manuscripts of surviving poems, the book shows how these vernacular poets commemorated the Hebrews as God's 'chosen people' and claimed the inheritance of that status for Anglo-Saxon England. Drawing on contemporary translation theory, the book undertakes close readings of the poems Exodus, Daniel and Judith in order to examine their methods of adaptation for their particular theologico-political circumstances and the way they portray and problematize Judaeo-Christian religious identities.
Old English Lexicology and Lexicography: Essays in Honor of Antonette diPaolo Healey. Eds., Maren Clegg Hyer, Haruko Momma, and Samantha Zacher, 2020
“Anglo-Saxon Maccabees: Political Theology in Ælfric’s Lives of Saints.” In Old English Lexicolog... more “Anglo-Saxon Maccabees: Political Theology in Ælfric’s Lives of Saints.” In Old English Lexicology and Lexicography: Essays in Honor of Antonette diPaolo Healey. Eds., Maren Clegg Hyer, Haruko Momma, and Samantha Zacher. Rochester, NY: Boydell & Brewer, 2020, 143–58
... The question of audience is also central to Elaine Treharne's contribution in Part II, w... more ... The question of audience is also central to Elaine Treharne's contribution in Part II, which argues that the Vercelli Book may have ... In contrast to the journey motif, Eric Stanley and Richard North consider, in different ways, notions of fixity and home; Stanley examining contexts for ...
Most studies of Jews in medieval England begin with the year 1066, when Jews first arrived on Eng... more 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.
The Bible played a crucial role in shaping Anglo-Saxon national and cultural identity. However, a... more The Bible played a crucial role in shaping Anglo-Saxon national and cultural identity. However, access to Biblical texts was necessarily limited to very few individuals in Medieval England. In this book, Samantha Zacher explores how the very earliest English Biblical poetry creatively adapted, commented on and spread Biblical narratives and traditions to the wider population. Systematically surveying the manuscripts of surviving poems, the book shows how these vernacular poets commemorated the Hebrews as God's 'chosen people' and claimed the inheritance of that status for Anglo-Saxon England. Drawing on contemporary translation theory, the book undertakes close readings of the poems Exodus, Daniel and Judith in order to examine their methods of adaptation for their particular theologico-political circumstances and the way they portray and problematize Judaeo-Christian religious identities.
Old English Lexicology and Lexicography: Essays in Honor of Antonette diPaolo Healey. Eds., Maren Clegg Hyer, Haruko Momma, and Samantha Zacher, 2020
“Anglo-Saxon Maccabees: Political Theology in Ælfric’s Lives of Saints.” In Old English Lexicolog... more “Anglo-Saxon Maccabees: Political Theology in Ælfric’s Lives of Saints.” In Old English Lexicology and Lexicography: Essays in Honor of Antonette diPaolo Healey. Eds., Maren Clegg Hyer, Haruko Momma, and Samantha Zacher. Rochester, NY: Boydell & Brewer, 2020, 143–58
... The question of audience is also central to Elaine Treharne's contribution in Part II, w... more ... The question of audience is also central to Elaine Treharne's contribution in Part II, which argues that the Vercelli Book may have ... In contrast to the journey motif, Eric Stanley and Richard North consider, in different ways, notions of fixity and home; Stanley examining contexts for ...
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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.
Preface
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.
Preface