DOCSLIB.ORG

ETD Template

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
ETD Template JEWISH HISTORIOGRAPHY ON THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE AND ITS JEWRY FROM THE LATE FIFTEENTH CENTURY TO THE EARLY DECADES OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY by I.IZZET BAHAR B. Sc. in Electrical Engineering, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, 1974 M. Sc. in Electrical Engineering, Bosphorus University, Istanbul, 1977 Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Arts and Sciences in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of M.A. in Religious Studies University of Pittsburgh 2006 UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH FACULTY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES This dissertation was presented by I. IZZET BAHAR It was defended on March 21, 2006 and approved by Alex Orbach, PhD, Associate Professor Adam Shear, PhD, Assistant Professor Snjazana Buzov, PhD, Lecturer Alex Orbach, PhD, Associate Professor Dissertation Director ii JEWISH HISTORIOGRAPHY ON THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE AND ITS JEWRY FROM THE LATE FIFTEENTH CENTURY TO THE EARLY DECADES OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY I. Izzet Bahar, M.A. University of Pittsburgh, 2006 The thesis analyzes how Jewish historians presented the Ottoman Empire and its Jewish subjects during the long time span between the end of the fifteenth century and the first decades of the twentieth century. In the first part of the thesis, the key characteristics of the Jewish attitude towards history and history writing are analyzed. Throughout the ages of pre-1820, Jews are observed to be consciously lukewarm towards history. The sealing of the Bible and the emergence of an apocalyptic/messianic world view, which are both considered to have taken place around the last centuries of B.C.E., are illustrated as two major causes behind the emergence of this particular Jewish attitude towards history. In the second part of the thesis, the historiography of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries are examined with special emphasis on the period historians who explicitly wrote historical works. As the Ottoman Empire was the super power of the age, in these historical writings, a special divine role was attributed to the Empire. The consecutive part of the thesis focuses on historical writings on the Sabbatian messianic movement. As one of the important episodes of the early modern period of Jewish history, the Sabbatian movement stimulated awareness and interest in history even in the far flung communities of Diaspora and produced a new surge of history writing. The modernization of the Ottoman Empire Jewry that began after the 1840s, and adaptation of numerous already- existing social and intellectual models of the West is the subject of the final part of the thesis. iii Each of these western Jewish intellectual movements had their distinctive approach to history and influenced the Ottoman Jewish historians in their writings of history. However, the actual scientific and objective historical writings on the Ottoman Jewry started much later in the second half of the twentieth century and gained popularity in the 1980s with the increased world-wide interest in the Ottoman/Turkish Jewry. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE....................................................................................................................................viii 1. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................. 1 2. JEWISH HISTORIOGRAPHY AND ITS DISTINCT NATURE ......................................... 9 2.1. Approaches to History and Historiography among Jewish People............................... 15 2.1.1. Different Approaches of Modern Historians ........................................................ 15 2.1.2. Critical Assessment of Various Approaches......................................................... 18 2.2. Two Major Causes Behind the Jewish Attitude towards History................................. 24 2.2.1. Sealing of the Bible............................................................................................... 25 2.2.2. Emergence of Apocalyptic/Messianic Sentiments and Worldview...................... 32 3. JEWISH HISTORIOGRAPHY ON THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE IN THE SIXTEENTH AND SEVENTEENTH CENTURIES ......................................................................................... 38 3.1. The Ottoman Empire: A New Power on the World Stage............................................ 38 3.2. The Relationship of the Empire to its Non-Muslim Subjects....................................... 39 3.2.1. Jewish Subjects of the Empire .............................................................................. 41 3.3. Historiography of the Period......................................................................................... 42 3.3.1. Six Major Historians............................................................................................. 48 3.3.1.1. Elijah Capsali................................................................................................ 48 3.3.1.2. Joseph ha-Kohen........................................................................................... 53 3.3.1.3. Samuel Usque ............................................................................................... 56 3.3.1.4. Solomon Ibn Verga....................................................................................... 58 3.3.1.5. David Conforte.............................................................................................. 59 3.3.1.6. Joseph Ben Isaac Sambari............................................................................. 60 3.3.2. Other Historians.................................................................................................... 62 3.4. Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 66 3.4.1. The Main Characteristics of this Period in the Jewish Historiography on the Ottoman Empire.................................................................................................................... 66 3.4.1.1. Jewish Interest in History.............................................................................. 66 3.4.1.2. Attribution of a Divine Role to the Ottoman Empire ................................... 69 3.4.1.3. Exaggerated Praise of the Turks ................................................................... 72 3.4.1.4. Biased History............................................................................................... 74 3.4.2. Discussion............................................................................................................. 75 4. JEWISH HISTORIOGRAPHY ON SABBATIAN MESSIANISM AND THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY.......................................................................................................... 86 4.1. The Sabbatian Messianic Movement............................................................................ 86 4.2. Historiography on the Movement and its Suppression................................................. 89 4.2.1. Jacob Sasportas ..................................................................................................... 96 4.2.2. Jacob and Emmanuel Frances............................................................................... 99 4.2.3. Jacob Emden ....................................................................................................... 101 4.2.4. Abraham Cuenque .............................................................................................. 102 v 4.2.5. Baruch Ben Gershon of Arezzo .......................................................................... 103 4.3. Conclusion .................................................................................................................. 106 4.3.1. A Surge of Letters and a Snowballing of Messianic Awakening. ...................... 108 4.3.2. A Novel Approach and Form in Jewish Historiography .................................... 111 4.3.3. The Non-existence of the Sabbatian Historiography in the East and its Possible Causes 115 4.3.4. After the Sabbatian Movement ........................................................................... 119 5. JEWISH CULTURAL STAGNATION IN THE WAKE OF THE SABBATIAN MOVEMENT AND THE NINETEENTH CENTURY............................................................. 122 5.1. Two Bibliographers: Hayim Joseph David Azulai and Salamon Hazan .................... 123 5.2. The 1840 Damascus Affair: The Awakening of Western Jewish Interest in Oriental Jewry 125 5.2.1. The Lack of Period Historiography on Ottoman Jewry...................................... 127 5.3. The Presentation of Ottoman Jewish History in Two Comprehensive Histories ....... 130 5.3.1. Heinrich Graetz................................................................................................... 131 5.3.2. Simon Dubnow ................................................................................................... 134 5.4. The Western Jewish Intellectual and Social Movements that Affected the Ottoman Jewish Society......................................................................................................................... 138 5.4.1. The Emancipation – “Regeneration” Movement of French Jews and its Influence on Ottoman Jewry............................................................................................................... 140 5.4.1.1. Overview..................................................................................................... 140 5.4.1.2. The French Influence on Ottoman Jewry through the Alliance.................. 144 5.4.2. The German Haskalah movement
Load more

Recommended publications
  • 2015 Report to the Community
    2015 Report to the Community Contents President’s Letter / 1 CEO’s Letter / 2 Thank You / 3 Our Impact / 4 Family Tree Legacy Circle / 6 Annual Donors / 8 In-Kind Donors / 21 Volunteers / 23 Operating Budget / 27 Our Family of Services & Programs / 28 Capitol Hill Campus 1601 16th Avenue Seattle, WA 98122-4000 Eastside Office Refugee & Immigrant Service Center 15821 NE 8th Street, Ste. 210 Bellevue, WA 98008-3957 South King County Office jfs.seattle Refugee & Immigrant Service Center @JFSSeattle 1209 Central Avenue S, Ste. 134 Kent, WA 98032-7439 Jewish Family Service – Seattle (206) 461-3240 jfsseattle.org blog.jfsseattle.org 2015 REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY I 1 2014-2015 Board of Directors Gail Mautner PRESIDENT Michele Rosen Letter from the PRESIDENT-ELECT Delia Jampel FIRST VICE PRESIDENT Board President Richard Gumpert TREASURER The past year at JFS has been a dynamic period, Laurie Minsk balancing the continuity of our history with healthy SECRETARY doses of change. We are continuing our 123-year Emily Alhadeff tradition of providing quality services to vulnerable IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT individuals and families to help them achieve well- Stephanie Axelrod being, health and stability. Our outstanding team of Karyn Barer professionals delivers on the promise of our mission Etan Basseri with compassion and respect. They ensure that Michael Bernstein people who are marginalized and diminished will be Eric Candell treated with dignity when they come to our doors. Carolee Danz Susan Eastern As our effort to meet the growing needs in our JoAnn Forman community continues, our staff and Board of Rochelle Goffe Directors have also been dedicated to planning for Dawn Gold the future.
    [Show full text]
  • The Court Theatres of the Farnese from 1618 to 1690
    This dissertation has been microfilmed exactly as received 68—2969 COBES, John Paul, 1932- THE COURT THEATRES OF THE FARNESE FROM 1618 TO 1690. [Figures I-V also IX and X not microfilmed at request of author. Available for consultation at The Ohio State University Library], The Ohio State University, Ph.D., 1967 Speech-Theater University Microfilms, Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan (S) Copyright by- John Paul Cobes 1968 THE COURT THEATRES OF THE FARNESE FROM 1618 TO 1690 DISSERTATION Presented In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio S tate U niversity By John Paul Cobes, B.S., M.A. ******** The Ohio State University 1967 Approved by Z. Adviser Department of Speech PLEASE NOTE: Figures I-V also IX and X not microfilmed at request of auth­ or. Available for consultation at The Ohio State University Library. UNIVERSITY MICROFILMS. The author wishes to acknowledge, with dee nest gratitude, the assistance, suggestions, and guidance of the following persons, all of whom were instrumental in the camnletion of this study; Dr. Row H. Bowen, adviser to this study, and all the nersonnel of the Theatre Division of the Deonrtment of Speech at the Ohio State University. Dr. John ft. McDowell and Dr. John q . Morrow, advisers to this study, a".d nil +V> -•ersonnel of the Theatre Collection of the Ohio State Universit.w, D r. A l^ent M ancini of th e I t a l i a n D iv isio n o f th e Romance La.-wn.aTes Department of the Ohio State University’.
    [Show full text]
  • Moses Hayim Luzzatto's Quest for Providence
    City University of New York (CUNY) CUNY Academic Works All Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects 10-2014 'Like Iron to a Magnet': Moses Hayim Luzzatto's Quest for Providence David Sclar Graduate Center, City University of New York How does access to this work benefit ou?y Let us know! More information about this work at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/380 Discover additional works at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu This work is made publicly available by the City University of New York (CUNY). Contact: [email protected] “Like Iron to a Magnet”: Moses Hayim Luzzatto’s Quest for Providence By David Sclar A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty in History in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy The City University of New York 2014 © 2014 David Sclar All Rights Reserved This Manuscript has been read and accepted by the Graduate Faculty in History in satisfaction of the Dissertation requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Prof. Jane S. Gerber _______________ ____________________________________ Date Chair of the Examining Committee Prof. Helena Rosenblatt _______________ ____________________________________ Date Executive Officer Prof. Francesca Bregoli _______________________________________ Prof. Elisheva Carlebach ________________________________________ Prof. Robert Seltzer ________________________________________ Prof. David Sorkin ________________________________________ Supervisory Committee iii Abstract “Like Iron to a Magnet”: Moses Hayim Luzzatto’s Quest for Providence by David Sclar Advisor: Prof. Jane S. Gerber This dissertation is a biographical study of Moses Hayim Luzzatto (1707–1746 or 1747). It presents the social and religious context in which Luzzatto was variously celebrated as the leader of a kabbalistic-messianic confraternity in Padua, condemned as a deviant threat by rabbis in Venice and central and eastern Europe, and accepted by the Portuguese Jewish community after relocating to Amsterdam.
    [Show full text]
  • Jewish Encyclopedia
    Jewish Encyclopedia The History, Religion, Literature, And Customs Of The Jewish People From The Earliest Times To The Present Day Volume XII TALMUD – ZWEIFEL New York and London FUNK AND WAGNALLS COMPANY MDCCCCVI ZIONISM: Movement looking toward the segregation of the Jewish people upon a national basis and in a particular home of its own: specifically, the modern form of the movement that seeks for the Jews “a publicly and legally assured home in Palestine,” as initiated by Theodor Herzl in 1896, and since then dominating Jewish history. It seems that the designation, to distinguish the movement from the activity of the Chovevei Zion, was first used by Matthias Acher (Birnbaum) in his paper “Selbstemancipation,” 1886 (see “Ost und West,” 1902, p. 576: Ahad ha – ‘Am, “Al Parashat Derakim,” p. 93, Berlin, 1903). Biblical Basis The idea of a return of the Jews to Palestine has its roots in many passages of Holy Writ. It is an integral part of the doctrine that deals with the Messianic time, as is seen in the constantly recurring expression, “shub shebut” or heshib shebut,” used both of Israel and of Judah (Jer. xxx, 7,1; Ezek. Xxxix. 24; Lam. Ii. 14; Hos. Vi. 11; Joel iv. 1 et al.). The Dispersion was deemed merely temporal: ‘The days come … that … I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof … and I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land” (Amos ix.
    [Show full text]
  • United States Air Force and Its Antecedents Published and Printed Unit Histories
    UNITED STATES AIR FORCE AND ITS ANTECEDENTS PUBLISHED AND PRINTED UNIT HISTORIES A BIBLIOGRAPHY EXPANDED & REVISED EDITION compiled by James T. Controvich January 2001 TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTERS User's Guide................................................................................................................................1 I. Named Commands .......................................................................................................................4 II. Numbered Air Forces ................................................................................................................ 20 III. Numbered Commands .............................................................................................................. 41 IV. Air Divisions ............................................................................................................................. 45 V. Wings ........................................................................................................................................ 49 VI. Groups ..................................................................................................................................... 69 VII. Squadrons..............................................................................................................................122 VIII. Aviation Engineers................................................................................................................ 179 IX. Womens Army Corps............................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • A Ketubbá, in Portuguese, from the Jews of Lisbon (15Th Century)
    Hamsa Journal of Judaic and Islamic Studies 4 | 2018 Varia A ketubbá, in Portuguese, from the Jews of Lisbon (15th century) Filomena Barros Electronic version URL: https://journals.openedition.org/hamsa/514 DOI: 10.4000/hamsa.514 ISSN: 2183-2633 Publisher CIDEHUS - Centro Interdisciplinar de História Culturas e Sociedades da Universidade de Évora Electronic reference Filomena Barros, “A ketubbá, in Portuguese, from the Jews of Lisbon (15th century)”, Hamsa [Online], 4 | 2018, Online since 31 March 2018, connection on 13 May 2021. URL: http://journals.openedition.org/ hamsa/514 ; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4000/hamsa.514 Hamsa est mise à disposition selon les termes de la Licence Creative Commons Attribution - Pas d'Utilisation Commerciale - Pas de Modification 4.0 International. Hamsa: Journal of Judaic and Islamic Studies 4 (2017- March 2018): 33-45 A ketubbá, in Portuguese, from the Jews of Lisbon (15th century) Filomena Barros Universidade de Évora /CIDEHUS [email protected] Resumo: No último quartel do séc. XV, uma ketubbá foi escrita em português, por Yuda Barceloní, o tabelião da comuna judaica de Lisboa. Celebrava, não apenas o contrato pré-nupcial, mas também o casamento entre Josepe Crespim e Rica, mulher viúva. Esta forma original de escrever ketubbot, deriva da normativa régia de controlo do tabelionado. As minorias judaica e muçulmana foram proibidas de usar os seus códigos linguísticos nos documentos notariais. Embora se trate do único documento desta tipologia, até agora conhecido, numa língua romance, alguns elementos, nomeadamente a estrutura, coincidem com as demais ketubbot. Outros, contudo, delas diferem, na expressão do direito consuetudinário da comuna de Lisboa (minhagim), que molda a sua identidade própria.
    [Show full text]
  • 2009 Hamerkaz
    50883_Book_r3:50883_Book_r3 9/16/09 2:21 PM Page 1 F ALL 2 0 0 9 E DITION HAPPY NEW YEAR 5770 HAMERKAZ A PUBLICATION OF THE SEPHARDIC EDUCATIONAL CENTER SECuring Our Jewish Future 50883_Book_r3:50883_Book_r3 9/16/09 2:21 PM Page 2 BOARD MEMBERS Dr. Jose A. Nessim, Founder & President MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD W o r l d E x e c u t i v e C o m m i t t e e Ronald J. Nessim, Chair Sarita Hasson Fields Raymond Mallel Freda Nessim By Ronald J. Nessim Steven Nessim Prof. Eli Nissim There has been significant and exciting changes at the SEC over the past two Dr. Salvador Sarfatti years. Let me update you on some of them. Neil J. Sheff Marcia Israel Weingarten Larry Azose, World Executive Director In the fall of 2007, we hired Larry Azose as our full-time executive director. Larry has a rich Sephardic background, brings organizational skills to the SEC and is S E C J e r u s a l e m C a m p u s 200% committed to our cause. We are fortunate to have him. Rabbi Yosef Benarroch, Educational Director [email protected] Our executive committee which I am proud to chair has been meeting monthly in Israel Shalem, Administrative Director Los Angeles. The executive committee has made great progress in revitalizing the [email protected] SEC and each member has assumed primary responsibility in one or more areas such as finance, Israel programs and our Jewish day school initiative. S E C C h a p t e r s Los Angeles• Argentina• New York• Montreal It is our intent over the coming months to create Advisory Committees consisting World Executive Offices of community leaders in our local chapters.
    [Show full text]
  • Tiberias A-Happy and
    " ..• - -~ ..,.., _,. .- .-· .,- •h -- . r . ,,, .. «.r' ,,!,-~ • ,.,- - r ,-.. I ~··.·,.··~·~-----•· I I, TH:& ISllABLlTE PRESS Friday, September S. 19M 1\ Page 20-Netr Year Editio11 . '. ' ' . i111caa1 9tlW Y&A• c:QITilfOS ,1n:in ro.,ll m.·_·.. Ul~ 'I · · · ·· ·· :,- -. ··· · -- ··· 1·· . BESl" WJSBES ro ALL OUR FlUENDS AND ca&IO.IIERS Sill'lfflt ...,. Year WISMS to Our Frhnl:h and Cvstornart I TO oua l<IUIHDI AND - · ISIIAILIIONDS:-•TO-BUIID. · . FOR A JOYoUS NEW YEAS . CUffOMJ!U I r.JC cr~::ox:rr.,r-..•JC ~ ':%· ·• ':~ llfJll!L~J',L~- AIIIPO-':. _: . ,ic-\z," ~, Winnipeg Leather Goods 0,mn K 11n:: 0,,..,.c 0. ..avtJlll .t.. 1'\lltlL.. Bortoa's Saw Service ,";1$' ~5, rJC ·. , .c, I Quilting Co. All Kinds of LNther, Cape, Suede & Sales· limited X) Mid-West Ltd. " and Sport Jackets S. SIi,\' ERBER•~ S. ENIGBT I - Pt,itiCMIIII 8fds-. wtnl'Jpes, P"- WH l-012:1 I No. 1 SHOP- Manufacturers of Quality Mitfertals 175 STADACONA ST. Hy.fashion Apparels Ltd. .· Quilting by .1M Yard• Specialty I Phone LE 3-1107 374 Donald Strut 101 ·ERIN ST. sunw MOOt A JOYOUS NEW YEAR TO ALL OUR JEWISH FR!m<'D& Ph-WH3-&826 AND ctJSI'OlfERS - I -We APPACl•te Our Jewish Patron.- Ho. 2 SHOP.;.. Best W'uhell for a Happy 1961 ,unm, ,:in:ln i\:l\\\ iUlll'2 5722 LEONARD I McLAUGHLIN MOTORS LTD. 36 ISABEL STREET New Year to All Out Friend9 WlnniPle's Largest RAMBLER Daaltr - FIAT. Distributonl Phone SPruc:e 4-9332 and Customers (x for Manitoba Hand Saws • Sm•II Circulars 1111d · Bukh1w Svpplles Air Conditioning .
    [Show full text]
  • The History of World Civilization. 3 Cyclus (1450-2070) New Time ("New Antiquity"), Capitalism ("New Slaveownership"), Upper Mental (Causal) Plan
    The history of world civilization. 3 cyclus (1450-2070) New time ("new antiquity"), capitalism ("new slaveownership"), upper mental (causal) plan. 19. 1450-1700 -"neoarchaics". 20. 1700-1790 -"neoclassics". 21. 1790-1830 -"romanticism". 22. 1830-1870 – «liberalism». Modern time (lower intuitive plan) 23. 1870-1910 – «imperialism». 24. 1910-1950 – «militarism». 25.1950-1990 – «social-imperialism». 26.1990-2030 – «neoliberalism». 27. 2030-2070 – «neoromanticism». New history. We understand the new history generally in the same way as the representatives of Marxist history. It is a history of establishment of new social-economic formation – capitalism, which, in difference to the previous formations, uses the economic impelling and the big machine production. The most important classes are bourgeoisie and hired workers, in the last time the number of the employees in the sphere of service increases. The peasants decrease in number, the movement of peasants into towns takes place; the remaining peasants become the independent farmers, who are involved into the ware and money economy. In the political sphere it is an epoch of establishment of the republican system, which is profitable first of all for the bourgeoisie, with the time the political rights and liberties are extended for all the population. In the spiritual plan it is an epoch of the upper mental, or causal (later lower intuitive) plan, the humans discover the laws of development of the world and man, the traditional explanations of religion already do not suffice. The time of the swift development of technique (Satan was loosed out of his prison, according to Revelation 20.7), which causes finally the global ecological problems.
    [Show full text]
  • Apostates and More, Part 2,The History Behind the Ashkenazi
    Apostates and More, Part 2 Apostates and More, Part 2 Marc B. Shapiro Continued from here 1. Another apostate was Rabbi Nehemiah ben Jacob ha-Kohen of Ferrara, who was an important supporter of R. Moses Hayyim Luzzatto during the controversy about him.[1]Here is the the final page of the haskamah he wrote in 1729 for R. Aviad Sar Shalom Basilea’s Emunat Hakhamim. R. Isaac Lampronte, in a halakhic discussion in hisPahad Yitzhak, refers to Nehemiah, but not by name.[2] He calls him .In R .אחד מן החכמים רך בשנים אשר אחרי כן הבאיש ריחו כנודע Hananel Nepi and R. Mordechai Samuel Ghirondi, Toldot Gedolei Yisrael (Trieste, 1853), p. 229, they write about Obviously, “Ishmaelite” is a .שאח”כ נעשה ישמעאלי :Nehemiah code word for Christian.[3] The story reported by Samuel David Luzzatto is that Nehemiah used to go to prostitutes, and when the rabbis found out about this they removed the rabbinate from him. Too embarrassed to remain in the Jewish community, Nehemiah apostatized.[4] Cecil Roth cites another Italian source that Nehemiah converted so he could marry a Christian woman. Unfortunately, his son and three daughters apostatized together with him (his wife had apparently already died).[5] Another apostate who should be mentioned is Michael Solomon Alexander (1799-1844), first Anglican bishop in Jerusalem. Before his apostasy, Alexander was a rabbi.[6] Rabbi Abraham Romano of Tunis also became an apostate. He converted at the end of the seventeenth century when R. Meir Lombrozo was appointed a dayan in his place. After Romano converted, he became well known as a Islamic preacher, and after his death his tomb was venerated by Muslims.
    [Show full text]
  • An Introduction to Old Persian Prods Oktor Skjærvø
    An Introduction to Old Persian Prods Oktor Skjærvø Copyright © 2016 by Prods Oktor Skjærvø Please do not cite in print without the author’s permission. This Introduction may be distributed freely as a service to teachers and students of Old Iranian. In my experience, it can be taught as a one-term full course at 4 hrs/w. My thanks to all of my students and colleagues, who have actively noted typos, inconsistencies of presentation, etc. TABLE OF CONTENTS Select bibliography ................................................................................................................................... 9 Sigla and Abbreviations ........................................................................................................................... 12 Lesson 1 ..................................................................................................................................................... 13 Old Persian and old Iranian. .................................................................................................................... 13 Script. Origin. .......................................................................................................................................... 14 Script. Writing system. ........................................................................................................................... 14 The syllabary. .......................................................................................................................................... 15 Logograms. ............................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Jewish Judicial Autonomy in Nineteenth Century Jerusalem: Background, Jurisdiction, Structure
    14 JEWISH JUDICIAL AUTONOMY IN NINETEENTH CENTURY JERUSALEM: BACKGROUND, JURISDICTION, STRUCTURE by ELIMELECH WESTREICH∗ 1. Introduction This study focuses on Jewish judicial autonomy in Jerusalem at the end of the Ottoman period, mainly the Sephardic court that was the official rabbinical court recognized by law. I will introduce the Islamic background of Jewish autonomy, including its relations with the Sharia courts, the new geo-political environment in which the official Sephardic court operated and the institutional framework within which it was located, the scope of its jurisdiction and the structure of the court. The Sephardic rabbinical court was part of the official rabbinical institution, which was part of the Jewish community organization. At the head of the organization was the Chief Rabbi, whose Jewish title was Rishon Lezion (“The First in Zion”) and whose official Ottoman title was -akham Bashi. This organization had close ties to the political and cultural order of the Ottoman Empire and fulfilled an important duty in those days. However, the disintegration of the Ottoman Empire at the end of WWI also spelled the end of the Jewish institutional organization. Nevertheless, the Sephardic rabbinical court of the Ottoman era served as a source of inspiration for the development of the Jewish judicial system in the period of the British Mandate, both with respect to the extent of judicial authority and with respect to the close connection between the rabbinical court and the institution of the rabbinate. These components of the Sephardic rabbinical court remain present, in principle, in the State of Israel to this day. The Sephardic rabbinical court in Jerusalem was created and operated at a multidimensional historical junction.
    [Show full text]